


An Absence of Vanity

by arochilton



Category: Hannibal (TV)
Genre: Anal Sex, Freshman!Will, High School AU, M/M, Masturbation, Psychology teacher!Hannibal, Senior!Frederick, Sexting, and fluff, blowjobs in the shower, cute willton idiots in love, spanish speaking Frederick
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-07-08
Updated: 2014-10-09
Packaged: 2018-02-07 23:47:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 13
Words: 26,869
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1918704
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/arochilton/pseuds/arochilton
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>High school AU: Frederick, the lonely but edgily pompous senior, finds refuge in Will, a sharp-minded but ungrudging freshman.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Windswept Stranger

**Author's Note:**

> EDIT, August 6, 2014: I have combined several chapters with each other in order to condense the fic a bit. The content is exactly the same, but some chapters have been combined. Thank you all for reading, and I hope it'll be a bit easier to get through now that there aren't as many chapters.

Will Graham’s first day of high school was nothing like he had expected.  
  
In the span of seven hours, he had been shoved into the lockers twice, pushed to the ground, gotten his glasses shattered beyond compare, and entered the wrong classroom on five separate occasions.  
  
It’s not that this was happening to Will on purpose, of course. High school students, he had determined, were like wild animals. It was impossible to walk in a straight line to class; it was even harder to find the correct classrooms.  
  
He had eaten lunch with two girls from his English class who had seemed welcoming enough. They knew each other from middle school, as apparently much of the school did. One of the girls, Alana, was fascinated with Will’s Louisiana accent, as much as Will tried to hide it. She said it made him seem exotic and well-learned. Will had laughed at this.  
  
Alana and Beverly talked nonstop, only pausing to ask Will the occasional question. He heard rumors about teachers, complaints about classes, and was surprised to learn that he was one of a very few select freshmen who had been accepted into the Psychology class. The class required an application essay, which Will had jumped straight into as soon as he saw that it was offered. Alana had also been accepted into the class (which they wouldn’t have until the following day), but Beverly hadn’t. She didn’t seem bothered, though, retaliating with a smile and a “there’s always next year!”  
  
Lunch had improved his mood, but math trounced on it. Will was good at math, but it was by far the most boring class, and he could barely keep from falling asleep. When the bell finally rang to announce the end of the day, Will eagerly stepped out of the classroom just to get nearly trampled by rampaging seniors. Most of the freshmen were relatively small, but Will was lithe and light and easily knocked to the side.  
  
At the end of the day, he was just plain tired and cranky, squinting to see out of his broken lenses. His dad was not in a good mood when he got home, offering the question “how was school?” with an air of annoyance.  
  
“Fine,” Will huffed, stomping to his room and slamming the door shut.  
  
As much as school itself irked him, he was thankful that the classes were on a block schedule, meaning that he only had to deal with three classes one day and four the next. His homework load was feasible, but after dinner, he decided to hop into bed early. Will laid awake for a while, studying both a map and his schedule for the next day. Thinking about having a Psychology class made his stomach turn excitedly; using his mind to study the generic human mind gave him a thrill.  
  
Will was, thankfully, able to ignore the nervous twang in his chest about having to deal with more new people and teachers. His eyes closed and he was met with a peaceful dreamless sleep; the first one he’d had in a long while.  
  
**  
  
Will’s alarm went off at 7AM, leaving him just enough time to shower, dress in his favorite red plaid shirt, and start walking to school.  
  
Psychology was his first class, and having studied the schedule, he was able to make his way to the classroom, which was secluded in the back section of the school. He seated himself next to Alana, who greeted him with a friendly smile.  
  
The teacher was organizing files with his back to the classroom. When the bell rang, he turned around, and Will had to admit, he hadn’t been expecting this.  
  
The psychology teacher—Dr. _Lecter_ , according to Will’s schedule—was a man who emitted an aura of something edging on radiance. With an immaculate three piece suit Will hadn’t seen the likes of on any teacher before, Dr. Lecter seemed to be sophisticated and brilliant.  
  
“Welcome,” Dr. Lecter offered his students, extending his arms slightly. He had an accent, but Will couldn’t pinpoint its origin. He smiled through thin lips, an indistinguishable twinkle in his eyes. Will could already tell that although he seemed to be friendly enough, he was not the best teacher to cross.  
  
As Dr. Lecter progressed through his introduction of the course, Will’s assumptions were proven true when the door flew open and a messy-haired older student tore into the room. He was short and thin, carrying a stack of muddied books, and his breathing was heavy.  
  
Dr. Lecter’s eyes narrowed, and he tilted his head. When he spoke, his voice was calm. “Tardiness is unspeakably discourteous to me.”  
  
“I’m sorry,” breathed out the newcomer. As he shifted the books in his arms, Will noticed that his elbows were bloody.  
  
Dr. Lecter shook his head. “Don’t let it happen again, Mr…?”  
  
“Chilton,” the student choked out. “Frederick Chilton. I’m a senior.”  
  
“Well, welcome to Psychology, I suppose, even though--” Dr. Lecter paused. “Are you bleeding?”  
  
“I-” the senior started. “No. I mean, yes.”  
  
“You would do well to get your story straight if you are to stay in this class, Mr. Chilton,” Dr. Lecter adjusted his suit as he walked over, grabbing Frederick’s arm quite roughly. “What happened?”  
  
“I, ah,” Frederick looked down at the ground. Will felt a pang of sympathy for him, but mostly just a twinge of embarrassment. “A boy named Abel called me a co—I mean, um, well, he called me a name and I asked him if he would please refrain from calling me that and he shoved me down.”  
  
A good majority of the class laughed at that. “Please,” Dr. Lecter said to silence them, glaring around the room. He turned back to the senior boy. “Was this Abel Gideon?”  
  
“Y-yes,” Frederick replied.  
  
“He was my student last year. Quite excellent, I may add. Had some wonderful insights into the human mind.”  
  
Frederick’s expression turned from angry into positively sour. He wrangled his arm out of Dr. Lecter’s grasp and sat down in the only open desk.  
  
Dr. Lecter pursed his lips, walked back to his podium, then proceeded to walk by Frederick’s desk, dropping two bandages on top of his dirtied books. He spoke as he strutted around the classroom, his stride noble.  
  
“As I was saying before we were so _rudely_ interrupted, my name is Dr. Hannibal Lecter. I am from Lithuania, and a trained surgeon and psychiatrist. I formerly taught Anatomy here at this school, but switched to Psychology when the position opened.  
  
“Now, I understand that there are several freshmen in this class?” he asked, looking around with interest.  
  
Will and Alana raised their hands, as did one student on the other side of the room.  
  
“Well, I can only offer you the best of luck. This will be a rigorous course, not for the weak-minded, and many freshmen have a hard time keeping up.”  
  
Will felt a pang of determination at this. He knew had the potential to be one of the best students in the class if he put his mind to it.  
  
He listened to Dr. Lecter’s first day speech, trying to follow him with his eyes as he paced around the classroom. When he started to get a cramp in his neck, Will zoned out a bit, listening to Dr. Lecter’s words but not focusing on his moving presence anymore. It took him several minutes of spaced out attention to realize that he had been staring at Frederick Chilton.  
  
Luckily for Will, the senior hadn't noticed. But as the hour of Dr. Lecter's explanation of his syllabus and expectations bore on, Will realized that the harder he deliberately tried to avoid looking at Frederick, the more he stole quiet glances his way.  
  
The senior was intriguing, to say the least. His dark hair was full of product, but what was once perfectly shaped was now windswept and dirtied from his earlier quarrel. His features were narrow, in a way, with his long nose and small green eyes.  
  
Frederick glanced his way once, but luckily Will diverted his eyes quickly enough.  
  
When the bell rang, Frederick was the first to leave the classroom. Will watched him go, neglecting to attend to his own books.  
  
Alana nudged him as they walked out into the hallway. "What's got you so interested in that senior?"  
  
"I, um," Will cleared his throat. "I'm not, heh, interested in him."  
  
"Oh, please," Alana scoffed. "You were staring at him like he was either a god or an alien."  
  
"Alana, I'm not-"  
  
"Whatever you say!" she grinned. "Have a good day, Will. I'll see you at lunch! Unless, of course, you'd rather eat with _him_!"  
  
Will rolled his eyes at this. Was he even attracted to this boy, or just intrigued? Trying to distinguish the two made his head hurt, so he shook the thoughts from his mind.  
  
It was only when his art teacher clapped her hands in front of his face that Will realized he could not get the image of Frederick Chilton out of his head.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And thus begins Will Graham's Huge Gay Crisis.  
> The Willton is coming soon. I promise.


	2. Dreams and Courage

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> EDIT, August 6, 2014: I have combined several chapters with each other in order to condense the fic a bit. The content is exactly the same, but some chapters have been combined. Thank you all for reading, and I hope it'll be a bit easier to get through now that there aren't as many chapters.

Will wasn't enamored with Frederick Chilton. He wasn't infatuated, even. At least, that's what he kept telling himself.  
  
By the third day of Psychology class, Will had trained himself to focus on Dr. Lecter and Dr. Lecter only. The suave teacher had learned Will's name quickly—“Graham, William? Ah!”—and appeared to be more interested in him than most of the other students.  
  
The only time Will let himself look at Frederick was when Dr. Lecter called the older boy out on something. It seemed as if the teacher was out to make the poor senior's life miserable, and Will couldn't help but feel a twinge of sorrow at this.  
  
At the start of the fourth class, Dr. Lecter had them assemble into groups. Will instinctively turned his desk towards Alana, not even staking a second glance around the room. It wasn't until he heard the dragging of a desk that he looked up.  
  
"Do you mind?" It was Frederick, looking embarrassed to have no other group to join. This troubled Will, because as a senior, he should have had friends, or at least tolerable acquaintances. Right?  
  
This quiet pondering had rendered him speechless, so it was Alana who answered with a bright "of course."  
  
Frederick sighed with relief and sat down. "Alana, isn't it?" he asked the brunette girl. She nodded.  
  
"And you...William?" Frederick was obviously perceptive of his surroundings.  
  
Will nodded. "Just Will," he corrected, making direct eye contact with the older boy for the first time. He offered his hand. Frederick had long fingers and his grip was firm.  
  
"I take it Dr. Lecter has made it very clear who I am," Frederick scoffed, lowering his voice.  
  
"You can stand up to him, you know," Alana offered. "You can make your point without being rude."  
  
"I'm more evolved than to stoop to that," Frederick shook his head. "Ignorance is bliss. He's gauging a reaction. If there is none, he can't touch me."  
  
Will was mesmerized by the way he spoke. It was only by conscious thought that he remembered to keep breathing. He wasn't sure what to make of his intrigue towards Frederick, but he couldn't ignore it anymore. He had himself convinced it wasn't attraction and it wasn't necessarily admiration, but that didn't stop him.  
  
Will wasn't gay. Or, at least, he didn't think he was. He had never really thought about it. He'd shared his first kiss with a girl last year at his eighth grade graduation dance, but they hadn't even exchanged numbers before he left for the east coast.  
  
He shook his head and tried to focus on their group project. Now was not the time for a self-analysis.  
  
Frederick, he learned, was full of good ideas. He was also very full of himself. It seemed as though his first day demeanor of defeat had only shown through because of embarrassment; his presentation of himself could be quite arrogant. However, although it edged on flaunting, he seemed to genuinely care about Will's insights as well.  
  
When the bell rang, Will was extremely reluctant to leave. He didn't want to wait another two days before talking to Frederick again, even if the only topic of conversation was classwork-related.  
  
Luckily Will had his imagination, and that was one thing he was thankful for.  
  
On the way home from school, Will came across a stray dog padding woefully down the side of the street. Will absolutely loved dogs, and had asked for one frequently, but their small house in Louisiana was the excuse his dad had always given. But now...surely his dad wouldn't say no now?  
  
With quite a bit of coaxing and a few scraps of leftover lunch meat, Will got the dog to follow him home.  
  
By the time Will reached his front porch, he had already come up for a name for the long-haired toffee-colored dog: Winston.  
  
Will's dad was nowhere in sight, so Will set up a bath for Winston, cleaning him thoroughly. The dog seemed slightly anxious and nervous, but under Will's calming hands, he came to relax.  
  
Will was petting Winston nonchalantly when the front door opened and slammed shut.  
  
"What's that?" was Mr. Graham's first question.  
  
"He's a stray," Will explained quickly. "He was wandering in the street, dirty and scared, and I was worried something would happen to him."  
  
"Will," his dad started to say, exasperated.  
  
"Dad, you know how long I've wanted a dog. He'll be my sole responsibility. You won't even know he's here."  
  
His dad thought for a moment, and to Will's surprise, he nodded. "Fine. But if I see one trace of dirt or one flea inside this house, it's back out on the streets."  
  
Will hugged Winston closer. "He'll be fine. I promise."  
  
Winston slept at the foot of Will's bed, keeping his sheets warm. The dog had gotten used to his surrounding quickly enough, sitting patiently next to Will's chair as he did his homework that night. He seemed so obedient and calm that it upset Will he had been abandoned by someone. He was thankful the sweet dog trusted him.  
  
Will's dreams were enhanced by an unexpected visitor.  As vivid as a lucid dream and as sensual as a hallucination, Frederick Chilton was there in Will Graham's subconscious mind.  
  
He was lying on top of Will, kissing his neck, his chin, his nose, his temples, his cheeks, and finally, his lips. Frederick's mouth was soft, gentle, experienced. Will could feel the heat pool in his stomach, a sensation that was not felt solely in the dream.  
  
Frederick slipped Will's shirt from his torso, pressing kisses across his chest and down his stomach. Will had never been touched like this, even in a dream. He had never even imagined being touched like this.  
  
"Frederick..." he choked out, his voice hoarse, his mind heavy with lust. His fourteen-year-old body couldn't help keep down the hardness forming in the boxer shorts he wore as pajama bottoms. Frederick sucked a hickey to his neck, just a flash of teeth lashing to claim Will as his own.  
  
Just as Will caught his breath again, it was taken away when Frederick tore off his boxers and sucked Will into the heat of his mouth in one stride.  
  
Will squirmed, hands clenching the sheets, tensing every muscle in his body, forgetting to breathe, forgetting to anything but feel Frederick around his most sensitive part. As he sucked him tantalizingly and brought him towards release, Will could barely keep a handle on himself. He was sweating and panting and moaning and, _oh_ _God_ , _Frederick_ , he couldn't hold on much longer.  
  
He yelped when he came, seeing stars.  
  
Then he woke up in a frenzy, heart beating fast, working out that it had all been a dream, a fantasy, a vision. Winston was alert at the end of the bed, staring intently at his wanton master.  
  
"It's okay, boy," Will said shakily, petting Winston's sleek head.  
  
It wasn't until he moved that Will realized the inside of his boxer shorts was streaked with his own semen.

 

**

Will had to admit he was surprised at himself. He was not fond of much physical contact, just as he was not very keen on eye contact or being in close proximity with people. But there was something about Frederick that seemed to inhibit that and make him forget his self-implicated precautions.  
  
Will shook his head. It had only been a dream. That didn't necessarily mean that's what he wanted. Did it? He could blame his hormones, or he could face the fact that he was attracted to this alluring senior boy he barely knew.  
  
His stomach churned with guilt and distaste for himself. He ran his shorts under the sink and inspected himself in the mirror. If he pressed his fingers to his neck and closed his eyes, he could  _almost_  feel the ghosts of the bruises left there by—

 _No_.

Will was determined to keep any and all thoughts of Frederick Chilton out of his head. This had already gone too far, whatever  _this_  was, and he wasn’t going to let it turn into some silly impossible crush before the second week of school had even ended.

Will went through the motions of that day with a determined demeanor, focusing all his energy on English poetry and Spanish conjugations. He ate lunch with Beverly and Alana again, as had become the norm. The two girls talked about everything from shoes to cute boys to the food they were somehow still consuming amidst their rapid conversations.

“What’s new with you, Will?” Beverly asked him when they got done trash talking a sophomore named Mason who had spent the entirety of the girls’ biology class lecturing them about how horrifically the pig they were dissecting had been treated before its inevitable death in order to better the world of science.

“Um, not much,” Will mumbled, rubbing his eyes under his new glasses. “I found a stray dog last night.”

A chorus of “awwww” rose from the girls’ mouths, and elicited a laugh from Will.

“Did you get to keep it?” asked Alana.

“Yeah, I did,” Will said, grinning. Thinking about Winston was a welcome distraction, plus it brightened his mood monumentally. “I’ve wanted a dog my entire life, and since we have a bigger house here than in Louisiana, my dad was more or less okay with it. I named him Winston.”

“Text me a picture!” Beverly insisted.

“Me too!” Alana pleaded.

Will agreed with a chuckle and got up to throw his trash away. He had no sooner dumped his plates in the trash bin across the cafeteria when Frederick Chilton walked hurriedly past him.

Will blinked.

Frederick spun on his heel and continued walking, albeit backwards, raising his arm in greeting. “Heya, Will!” he yelled, a cheeky grin spreading across his face, before entering the restroom.

Will swallowed the knot he didn’t realize was in his throat, and walked quickly, head down, back to the table he and the girls were sitting at. His cheeks were flushed, and he had to fight himself not to think about the previous night’s dream.

“Who was  _that_?” Beverly asked Will incredulously. “I’ve never seen him before. He’s cute!”

“Stand down, Bev, he’s gay,” Alana said with a grin.

“ _What_?” Beverly and Will echoed in unison.

“What yourselves?” Alana laughed, tossing her glossy hair over one shoulder. “I ask around. My French partner, Freddie, told me. Apparently he came out his sophomore year and got some pretty hard shit about it.”

“Drats,” mumbled Beverly, putting her head in her hands. “Isn’t there  _one_  cute straight guy at this school?”

Will wasn’t sure whether to feel insulted or not.

Alana interrupted Beverly’s speech about how she didn’t  _need_  a boyfriend, she just wanted to see if she could  _get_  one. “Well, Will, now you don’t have anything to feel cautious about!”

“I’m not gay,” Will protested. Alana ignored him.

“You know he stares at you in class, right?” she asked.

“I wouldn’t know,” Will said coldly. He liked his friends, truly, but he was confused enough about himself without having them decide what he was and wasn’t.

Will painstakingly finished his sonnet assignment that evening out on the back porch, watching Winston scamper about, trying to catch flies in his mouth before it was too dark to see them.

Will tossed and turned that night, afraid to sleep in case more dreams interrupted his rest. To his relief, he awoke the next morning having no dreams he could recall and still-clean shorts.

Despite the distraction sitting two rows away, Psychology was still Will’s favorite class. They were handed back their tests, and Dr. Lecter announced to the class that Will had gotten the highest grade. That earned him a slightly uncomfortable pat on the shoulder from his teacher, but it made his chest flood with pride.

The feeling didn’t last long, though, because that morning, of course, Dr. Lecter’s topic of choice happened to be dreams.

“Calvin S. Hall concluded that negative emotions most commonly outweigh positive ones when a human is dreaming,” Dr. Lecter was saying. “In addition, it is universally thought that we only remember 5% of all dreams shortly after we wake up. Now, I want you to assemble into partners and try and recall all the dreams you’ve had in the past, oh, four nights. Afterwards, we will apply a bit of arithmetic and see how that number crosses with what psychologists say. In addition, try and see if you can pick up any insights into what some of your dreams might actually  _mean_. You may choose your groups. Go.”

Will had just turned to face Alana when someone tapped his shoulder. He whirled around to look directly at Frederick.

“May I work with you, Will?” he asked.

“I, um…” Will looked at Alana for approval and was met with a smile as she stood up, offered her seat to Will, and walked away, shooting a wink at the nervous boy.

They turned their desks to face each other as Dr. Lecter handed out sheets of paper.

“So, Will, is it true angels don’t dream?” Frederick inquired right off the bat.

“I’m sorry?” Will was a bit more than vaguely confused.

“I figured you’d know, seeing as you appear to be one.”

Will choked on nothing, trying in vain to turn it into either a laugh or a cough.

“Far from it, thanks,” Will mumbled, looking at the top of Frederick’s perfectly styled hair, trying to ignore the feel of those pretty green eyes on him. But inside, Will was glowing again. His heart was hammering and he wished with the entirety of his being that it wasn’t actually audible to anyone bar himself.

Frederick continued to peer at him. “Come on, Will,” he coaxed. “Everything alright?”

“Yes, yes, I’m fine,” Will tried his best to sound convincing, but he knew if he wasn’t careful, the soft pink tinge in his cheeks could turn to bright red and ruin this whole thing.

But then again...had Frederick just come on to him?

“So, go on, what dreams can you remember?” Frederick urged him.

“Um…you go first,” Will breathed out, needing time to conjure up some fake dreams to relay off.

“Okay,” Frederick thought for a moment, chewing on the end of his pen. Will tried not to think about how, well,  _sexy_ , that action was. “Last night—or maybe it was the night before, I can’t remember—I had a dream that I was running through the snow. I was being chased, and someone, I don’t know who, was following me with a gun. I tripped up a snowbank, and he caught up to me, tried to shoot me, I think. I stood before him, with my arms out like this,” Frederick lifted his arms to the sides, like a crucifix. “And let him have his go. But he didn’t shoot me. I think. I don’t remember.”

“Oh,” Will murmured. Should he console him about this? Frederick didn’t seem too worried about it. “I’ve heard that dreams are our past selves trying to cross over with our own? Or maybe foreshadowing? Or a secret fear we didn’t know we were harboring?”

Frederick nodded, the corners of his mouth turning up into a sly grin. “Damn, look at you go, Will! Okay, well, that’s all I can remember right now, so. You go.”

With horror, Will realized that unless he made something completely false-sounding and suspicious up out of the blue, he would have to tell the truth.

However...if Frederick really  _had_  been coming onto him…

He wasn’t sure what made him go for it. He would have been proud of his own courage had he not been revolted by the very words he was saying.

Will lowered his voice. “Um, well. A couple of nights ago I had this one dream.”

The senior raised an eyebrow. “Please, go on.”

“Well, I was, um, serenaded.”

“What, with a song?”

“No, no, not like that,” Will diverted his eyes down to his desk. “By things of a more, ah, sensual sort. You know. Kisses and…stuff.”

Frederick nodded genuinely. Will buried his face in his hands. “No, no, come on, Will!” Frederick wrestled Will’s arms down and forced him to look straight in his eyes.

Will forgot how to breathe.

Frederick continued to stare Will down.  “Who was it? Real? Someone you know? I bet she was pretty.”

“Uh, no…” Will choked out. “It wasn’t a girl.”

The only way to describe Frederick’s face at that moment was that he looked like a child given the absolute best gift on Christmas Day. Will registered this reaction in the back of his mind.

“Who was it?” Frederick asked, his voice cracking. “Do I know him?”

“Shhhh!” Will hushed him. “I, um, I don’t know. Can we change the subject please?”

Frederick put his hands up as if he had been caught. “All right, it’s okay, I won’t push.”

Just then, Dr. Lecter called for their papers. Will hadn’t written anything on his, and he didn’t plan to. Hopefully this wasn’t a graded assignment. As the class returned to their proper seats to await the bell, Will tore off a small piece of his unused paper, scribbled three words on it, and folded it up.

He slipped it in Frederick’s hand nonchalantly as they were dismissed from class.

**

Frederick Chilton had to read the piece of paper six times before he believed the words it held.

The bell rang to signal the start of the next class, yet Frederick remained glued to the pavement, surrounded by terrified freshmen fleeing to their classes, hoping their teachers would be forgiving and not deliver them a dreaded tardy slip.

Frederick was holding onto the paper so tightly the tension was enough to rip it. He had long since forgotten to gasp for air.

Three words. So simple, yet absolutely heart stopping.

 _It was you_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh, Will, you naughty boy.  
> Thank you dearly for the kudos and positive reinforcements! They keep me strong.  
> Come annoy me on Tumblr (chilten) or listen to me talk about how I'm going to eat my own nose while writing the next chapter on Twitter (@heseatingthem)!


	3. Projections Abound

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> EDIT, August 6, 2014: I have combined several chapters with each other in order to condense the fic a bit. The content is exactly the same, but some chapters have been combined. Thank you all for reading, and I hope it'll be a bit easier to get through now that there aren't as many chapters.

Will’s stomach was tied in knots the entirety of math class. It was like the first day all over again, but amplified overwhelmingly.

He stared out the window, hands casually twisting in his brunette curls. He couldn’t believe what he had done. The knowledge that he had either ruined everything or started something wonderful was eating at his entire being.

It was difficult to see through the blinds, which were drawn. However, in one fleeting instant, he thought he saw a glimpse of Frederick smirking at him knowingly—

The door opened, and Will nearly fell out of his chair. It took him a second to regain his composure, and he ignored the pairs of eyes that had turned on him at the sound of his chair shifting as his knees buckled.

“Yes?” The teacher gestured to the dark-haired senior, who was standing tall, arms folded across his chest.

“They need to see Will Graham in the counsellors’ office,” Frederick said, unwavering.

Will stood up.

“Bring your stuff,” Frederick tilted his head towards Will as he sauntered back out the door.

Will nodded his goodbye to the teacher, muttering an apology for the interruption. He stepped outside, ready to turn towards the counsellors’ office, but every other thought was suddenly swept away.

Frederick’s lips captured his own instantaneously, his hands coiling in Will’s dark hair, tongue sweeping across Will’s bottom lip. Will’s head hit the back of the wall, his breath releasing as ragged gasps into Frederick’s mouth.

Frederick drew his mouth downwards, sucking hard on Will’s neck, eliciting a guttural moan low in Will’s throat.

“I thought the…counsellors…needed…to…” Will tried to form a coherent sentence, his hands grabbing Frederick’s shoulders.

“No, Will, _I_ needed to see you,” Frederick hissed, kissing Will’s lips again, harder. “You think you can just confess your filthy dreams about _me_ to my face and not expect me to—”

His words were cut off when Will gripped his ass, pulling him closer.

“You’re a dirty _slut_ , Will Graham,” Frederick groaned. Will squirmed against him. “I’ve wanted you since the second I stepped into that damn Psychology class, you know that?”

Will grabbed Frederick’s head, fingers sliding through his dark locks. “I should…go back to class…” he murmured through needy kisses.

“Fine, then go,” Frederick smirked, pressing his hips to Will’s.

“ _Fuck_ ,” Will yelped as the bulges in their pants met, grinding together.

“Shut up or we’ll get caught,” the older boy shushed, shoving his tongue in Will’s mouth to silence him.

“Frederick, _Frederick_ ,” Will had never felt this turned on in his life. He slid his hands under Frederick’s shirt, fingers tickling his back.

“Will,” Frederick murmured. “Do you wanna get out of here?”

Will could barely even move his head into an affirmative nod. Luckily, it was close to lunchtime, and the seniors were permitted to drive off-campus for lunch, so there wouldn’t be any complaints (other than, of course, the fact that they wouldn’t return).

Will wasn’t sure what to make of any of this. The two of them were friends, no doubt, but what had their relationship just turned into? He was beyond nervous, his entire body shaking with both apprehension and desire. He had never ditched school before, and the thought excited more than he ever thought it would.

They walked side by side to the senior’s car. Frederick’s gait was lanky and confident, and Will realized he walked with a slight limp.

Will slid into the passenger seat of Frederick’s glossy red car just as the lunch bell rang. The older boy gave him a sly wink as he turned the keys into the ignition.

“I’ve never driven with a hard-on before, Will,” Frederick grinned as he backed out of the parking space. “It’s probably dangerous.”

“Your cock is dangerous?” Will raised an eyebrow.

Frederick swerved intentionally to the side of the parking lot and stomped on the brake. His eyes were wide, pupils blown.

“Will Graham, what the _hell_ are you doing to me?”

Will blinked, feigning innocence. “Why, whatever do you mean, Frederick?” He unbuckled his seatbelt, climbing onto Frederick’s lap, hands tangling in his hair.

“Fuck, Will,” Frederick’s head lolled back against the headrest. “Will, Will,” he said, running his hands along the freshman’s back. “Will, I like you a lot, and if we are to proceed with our feelings for each other, I need this to be more than just a hookup.”

Will nodded, kissing Frederick’s nose.

“Will you go out with me?”

“Yes,” Will whispered against Frederick’s mouth. “Yes, yes, yes, yes.”

“Good,” Frederick smirked.

Will’s nervousness returned, echoing in his own ears. “Frederick, I’ve never…”

“Will, shhhh,” Frederick soothed him with gentle hands, caressing long fingers through Will’s curls, which were lightly sweaty. “I appreciate your enthusiasm, of course, but I respect your wishes. We will never engage in any activity without me first receiving your full consent, okay?”

They stayed that way, Will on Frederick’s lap, sharing each other’s air, for what seemed like hours. Finally, the two agreed to drive to Frederick’s house, where they could stay for at least an hour before Frederick’s parents were due home.

The two laid out on Frederick’s bed, discussing everything from Psychology to dogs to Frederick’s anxiety over his Anatomy test the following day. Will was mesmerized by Frederick and everything about him: the way his eyes crinkled when he grinned, the clear sound of his laugh, the soft pressure of his lips, the twinkle in his green eyes when he joked around.

As Will kissed Frederick goodbye before walking home (which he insisted on doing; it was only a fifteen minute route and he liked the cool outdoor air), he realized that for the first time in longer than he could remember, he felt truly happy.

 

**

 

Will told Alana and Beverly during English class that he was planning on eating lunch with Frederick in the cafeteria. They each raised an eyebrow simultaneously.

“Ooooo, Will, you  _get_  some!” Beverly squealed, giving Will a light punch to the shoulder.

“Yeah, speaking of lunch, where were you yesterday?” Alana urged.

“I, um…” Will stared down at his English notes. “I was with Frederick.”

“Where?” The two girls shrieked.

“Shhhh!” Will insisted with a sigh. He lowered his voice. “We were in his car. Happy?”

“Oh my God,” Beverly gasped, while at the same time Alana giggled, “I thought you weren’t gay!”

“I…” Will shook his head. He still didn’t know how to feel about that, but he could no longer deny the attraction and heat he had felt with Frederick. “I like him.”

“Yeah, we get that,” Beverly was waving her arms excitedly. “So what else happened? How does sex work in a car, anyway? Or were you in the backseat?”

Will rolled his eyes. “We didn’t do that, Beverly. We just…kissed. You know.”

After much reassurance that Frederick was indeed the epitome of a good kisser, the bell rang, and Will met up with Frederick outside the cafeteria. They had determined not to show too much affection in public places yet, so Frederick’s greeting to Will was a light brush of their hands, twining their pinkies together.

Frederick was extremely talkative, even while consuming a large salad, and Will loved to listen to his voice. He hushed up once, when Dr. Lecter strode by their table, glaring down at the two boys. Will shuddered. He didn’t like the feeling of being watched like that.

“May I drive you to school tomorrow?” Frederick asked when Dr. Lecter had moved on.

“Um, sure,” Will said, noting that he would have to find a way to explain this to his dad.

Will was gazing at Frederick, loving the way his tight black shirt accented his skin and hair and brought out his eyes.  _He is so gorgeous_ , Will realized, a happy feeling settling in his stomach.

That night, Will explained to his dad that a friend was picking him up in the morning, then retired to his room.

He had been basically perpetually turned on since the dream, and it had gotten to the point where he couldn’t fight the overwhelming lust anymore. He shucked his shorts, tossing them across the room, and took himself in hand, closing his eyes gently.

He stroked his length firmly, getting himself hard almost instantly from thinking of Frederick and Frederick only. Pressing his other finger to his lips, remembering how soft, how needy, how  _perfect_  the older boy’s lips felt on his. With a shudder, he imagined those lips trailing his body, wrapping around his cock—

Will picked up the pace, letting out a soft moan as he thought about Frederick naked. Beautiful, so beautiful. Will rutted into his hand, feeling no shame, no guilt; nothing but pure desire. He had a longing to make Frederick come undone, to  make him scream, to fall out of that slightly arrogant demeanor and resort to a mess at Will’s feet, fucking him relentlessly.

And so, Will imagined Frederick rutting against him, his perfectly gelled hair becoming tousled and sweaty. He would finger Will open first, though, prepare him. Will sucked on one of his own fingers experimentally before pressing it inside himself. His legs locked and he squirmed. As lovely as it felt, he needed it to be Frederick. He cried out wantonly, jerking against the bed, legs spread like the slut Frederick had assured him he was.

Will imagined Frederick above him, kissing his nipples, his stomach, his hips. He envisioned Frederick’s cock, sliding into him so damn  _perfectly_ …

Will’s own breathing was hard and heavy. It only took a few more strokes and jerked thrusts before he came, crying out one word—“ _Frederick_!”

 

Of course, little did Will know that that very boy was envisioning the exact same scenario, splayed out on his own bed, the ghost of Will’s presence enveloping him as he stroked himself to the rhythm of his affection for the irresistible freshman.

 

**

 

Will awoke earlier than usual, washing himself thoroughly and brushing his hair carefully. He buttoned his blue plaid shirt with shaking fingers. At 7:30, he heard a car pull up in his driveway. He ran outside, leaving the top two buttons undone, grabbing his backpack on the way out the door.

Winston followed Will outside as Frederick stepped out of the car gentlemanly, strutting towards Will.

“Winston, no!” Will rushed forward, lunging out to grab the dog. “Back inside, c’mon!”

Frederick got down on his knees to scratch Winston between the ears.

“Yeah, Winston, he tastes good, I know,” Will laughed as Winston licked Frederick’s face.

Frederick looked at Will through narrowed eyebrows. “Dear  _God_ , Will…I—”

Will winked at him as he convinced Winston to go back inside, promising the dog he’d be home to walk him after school.

Climbing into the car, Will glanced at Frederick, who was doing his best to keep a straight face. He ended up bursting into a huge grin, grabbing Will’s face and kissing him full.

“I miss you so much when we’re not together, Will,” he whispered, kissing Will’s neck hard, a touch of teeth lashing as he sucked. Loving Will’s encouraging moans and the way his hands splayed in his hair, he sucked again right above Will’s collar, thankful that Will had neglected the top two buttons.

“We’re going to,” Will murmured amidst quick kisses to Frederick’s lips. “Be late for school.”

“Right, right,” Frederick said, snapping back to reality. “We know what happens when we’re late to Dr. Lecter’s class.” He started the car and the two drove the short distance to school, still breathing hard.

When Will sat down at his desk, Alana looked at him with horror. “What happened?” she gasped, gesturing to the two angry hickies that had formed at his throat.

“Uh, nothing,” Will ducked his head and glanced at Frederick across the classroom.

The damn bastard winked and put the end of his pen in his mouth, sucking on it gently.

Will moaned, only audible to himself, trying to regain his composure.

That, he learned, was not hard that day. Dr. Lecter rambled on about their dream notes, exasperated that barely anyone in the class had done the suggested amount of work. This, he explained, inhibited the ability to decide if humans really did forget 95% of their dreams.

Three minutes before class ended, Dr. Lecter appeared next to Will’s desk, interrupting his game of suggestive glances he was exchanging with Frederick.

“Will, I need to speak with you after class.”

“Alright,” Will muttered, looking at the ground.

When the bell rang, he approached Dr. Lecter’s desk.

“William, I am disappointed in you. You seem distracted and not in the moment in class. Not to mention, you did not complete the dream assignment,” Dr. Lecter’s eyes narrowed as he glared accusingly at Will.

“I, um,” Will sighed. “I can’t remember any of the dreams I’ve had in the past, well…a really long time. I’m sorry, Dr. Lecter,”

“Will, you need to exert much more of yourself into this class if you expect to get anything out of—” he paused, glancing at the bruises on Will’s neck. “What’s that?”

Will backed away, tripping over a desk. “Nothing,” he said.

“It is none of my concern what my students do outside of class,” Dr. Lecter said, colder than Will had ever heard him. “However, William, when  _someone_  affects your performance in this class…”

Will looked at the ground. “I’ll try harder, Doctor. This class is my favorite, you know.”

“You would do well to stay away from Frederick Chilton,” Dr. Lecter snapped. “He is not someone you should admire.”

“I admire him very much, thanks,” Will said quickly, “and not just his ability to kiss.” He stormed out of the room, knowing he would pay the price for his rudeness, but not dwelling on it just now.  _Only one more class until lunch_ , he reminded himself with a small smile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for the advice and kind comments. I'm still at a roadblock with the dom!/sub!Chilton debate, but when that time comes, I have the feeling it will write itself.


	4. Entwined

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> EDIT, August 6, 2014: I have combined several chapters with each other in order to condense the fic a bit. The content is exactly the same, but some chapters have been combined. Thank you all for reading, and I hope it'll be a bit easier to get through now that there aren't as many chapters.
> 
>  
> 
> (Note that there's been a time lapse of several days!)  
> I'm here to deliver you with some Spanish speaking Frederick Chilton!  
> And a lot of fluff and a whole lot of porn.

“ _You’re taking_ _AP Spanish Language_?” was Will’s astonished reaction when he noticed the textbook among the pile of books Frederick carried.

“Yes, I am,” Frederick replied, tilting his head.

“ _How?_ ” Will gasped. “I took Spanish in seventh and eighth grade yet I’m having more trouble with Spanish I right now than any other class!”

“I speak it fluently,” Frederick responded matter-of-factly.

“You _what_?” Will looked at him with pure bewilderment.

“Will, it’s not that weird,” he smiled. “You know, I could tutor you if you want.”

“Yes, please!” Will replied brightly, chewing on his fingernail a bit. “Actually, I was wondering…”

“Yes, darling?” Frederick asked, smiling and resting his head on his hands on top of the pile of books in front of him.

“Well, my dad’s going on some fishing excursion this weekend, and I’ve told him I have too much homework to go with him, so I’ll be alone all weekend…”

Frederick raised an eyebrow.

“So I was thinking maybe we could see a movie and then you could come over for a bit? Maybe sleep over?”

“Will, you don’t even have to ask,” was Frederick’s response. “So, tomorrow? It’s a date!”

 

**

 

The boys met at the small theatre a few blocks from Will’s house. Frederick had insisted on some cheesy horror flick, and Will had a sneaking suspicion that this was only so he would have an excuse to cuddle Will in a dark space.

Will turned out to be correct; they were two of five people in the cinema, and even though the film was as atrocious as the reviews promised, it did have quite a few scenes that made Will jump. Frederick cradled Will in his arms, running his hands down his back.

“It’s okay, Will,” he whispered. “I’ve got you.” He planted a quick kiss to Will’s curls. “You’re under my exclusive care.”

It was there, sitting in the dark with his head pressed close enough to Frederick’s chest to hear the rapid beat of his heart, that Will decided he loved this boy.

Earlier, he had convinced himself that it was too soon to tell, but he couldn’t say that anymore. Not when Frederick kept holding him long after the initial scene that had scared Will. Not when the older boy’s soft lips kept pressing to Will’s head. Not when Will had long since stopped focusing on the movie, preferring to stare at Frederick’s shadowy figure. Not when his lips moved to Will’s mouth, and Will made up his mind that it was fine if he died right then and there, because he had never been happier in his life.

He didn’t know if Frederick would say the same back to him, but admitting it to himself made him feel better. Will shifted in Frederick’s arms, throwing the armrest back and snuggling up to the senior with his back to Frederick’s chest. Frederick’s arms enveloped him, and Will picked up one of his hands, kissing each finger in turn.

This mind-numbing combination of affection, desire, lust, happiness, and intrigue he felt towards Frederick had to be love, Will told himself. Some people spend their entire lives searching for it. Yet here it was, holding Will flush against him. He sucked on one of Frederick’s fingers gently.

When the credits rolled, Will had never felt so excited about the prospect of going back home.

 

**

 

The evening before their weekend date, Will had lain in bed for several hours pondering whether he should walk to the store to buy condoms and lube.

He had pulled on his green jacket and gone outside before deciding against it. If Frederick was planning on fucking him, he concluded, he would come prepared.

Will wasn’t exactly sure how to feel about that situation. He was ready, he was willing, and he wanted Frederick oh so badly, but he wasn’t sure now was the time. After all, it was quite early in their relationship. But still, being equipped for the occasion was the best idea.

When Frederick went into the bathroom, Will sneaked a quick glance into the bag he’d left on Will’s bed. Sure enough, settled inside one of the side pockets, were a box of condoms and a bottle of lube.

Just the sight alone made Will’s dick twitch, and he laid himself out against the pillows at the head of his bed.

Frederick walked back towards Will’s room and stopped in the doorway. “Jesus Christ, Will, are we studying or are you going to just lie there looking sexy?”

It was the first time Frederick had referred to him as such. Will’s heart stopped beating for an instant and he shifted onto his side, peering at Frederick over the rims of his glasses.

“Why don’t you come here and find out?”

Frederick made it to the bed in three strides, climbing on top of Will, kissing him full, all tongue and teeth. “What do you need help with, cariño?”

Will sucked at Frederick’s tongue, hands finding his steady shoulders. “I have to…write…sentences,” he breathed in between deep kisses.

“About what?” Frederick hissed as their legs tangled together.

“I don’t know,” Will groaned, nipping at Frederick’s ear. “I could just write them on how _fucking hot_ my boyfriend is.”

This elicited a string of moans from low in Frederick’s throat.

“Me…” Will began, his attempt at a Spanish accent failing atrociously. “Me gusta tu cara.”

Frederick pulled back to look him in the eyes, smiling slightly. He repeated the phrase back with twice as much sass, lowering his head to kiss Will’s neck.

“Oh, Will, Will,” he breathed. “Mi corazon.”

Hearing Frederick speak Spanish, even just short phrases, had Will’s jeans tightening. His head was thrown back, and he barely heard the next words from Frederick’s mouth.

“Will…” a kiss to his lips, a suck on his neck, a peck on the cheek. “Te amo.”

Frederick’s voice had gotten so small, so quiet, but Will knew what that meant. His heart swelled, his hands enclosed tighter around Frederick.

“I love you,” Will murmured.

Frederick Chilton fell apart. This put-together, sometimes haughty, usually classy young man couldn’t hold back the tears behind his eyes as he kissed Will’s mouth repeatedly. “I love you, Will, I love you, I love you, I love you so fucking much.”

Will cried too. He couldn’t form words to describe how thankful he was for the presence of this boy in his life. It had been a short few weeks, but it was as if they had known each other for a lifetime.

Frederick laid himself next to Will, and the two boys stayed there, legs entwining, fingers interlocking, staring into each other’s eyes like the traditional star-crossed lovers.

From sweet nothings to deep conversations, they understood each other on some level Will hadn’t experienced with any other person before. They were far from Frederick’s lust-filled ambush in the hallway, yet both knew they each still harbored streaks of that in their character.

They ate badly prepared salads for dinner and watched _Moulin Rouge_ on the living room couch with Winston trying to wheedle his way in between them. The three of them settled for the dog lying atop the boys, slung out across both their laps.

Will climbed on top of Frederick’s lap when the film was over, straddling him. Hands at his chest, he whispered in his ear, “Are you going to fuck me?”

Frederick’s eyes searched his. “If that’s what you want, mi amor, then by all means. You don’t have to ask me twice.”

Will rotated his hips, kissing Frederick’s jaw. “You have no idea how much I’ve thought about it.”

Frederick blinked at him. “I believe you said you had thought about it before the two of us ever even spoke.”

Will laughed and kissed him in the dark light. “It was you, Frederick. Somehow, it was always you.”

In the forest outside, an animal howled. Will could care less. Nothing mattered but the sweet scent of Frederick’s cologne, the feel of his lips, the tickle of his hands as they brushed Will’s clothed ass, and the way his eyes fluttered shut when Will kissed his neck.

Will’s tongue left a trail of sloppy kisses down Frederick’s throat, sucking on his collarbone as he nuzzled into his shoulder. Heavy breaths escaped his mouth, hot on his lover’s neck. He grabbed the hem of Frederick’s shirt, tearing it off his body with flushed enthusiasm. His mouth wasted no time in pressing kisses to his shoulders. He was moving towards his chest when he noticed the thin white scar trailing down Frederick’s stomach.  
  
“What  _happened_  to you?” Will gasped, gazing at the boy, his features turning from an expression of adoration to one of shock.  
  
“It doesn’t matter,” Frederick whispered, running a hand through Will’s curls tenderly. “It was a long time ago. A story for a different day.”  
  
“Promise?” Will asked, screwing his mouth to the side grumpily.  
  
“Promise,” Frederick assured him. “Now, allow me.” He unbuttoned Will’s plaid shirt deftly, quickly shucking it aside. The boys’ naked flesh brushed together as their lips met to share a hungry kiss. Frederick quickly moved his mouth to Will’s chest. He brushed his tongue over a pert nipple, and Will nearly toppled backwards off Frederick’s lap. The older boy grabbed his ass and pushed him closer, hands holding him steady. Frederick let his mouth close around Will's nipple, sucking softly, kissing gently. The sensation was incredible, sending pleasurably tingly waves throughout his chest muscles.  
  
“You’re such a fucking  _tease_ ,” Will moaned, grabbing at Frederick’s arms wildly.  
  
“What are you gonna do about it?” Frederick grinned, biting down lightly on Will’s nipple, teeth scraping the sensitive skin.  
  
Will screamed despite himself, hips shifting, pupils blown. “Take me to the bedroom,” he demanded.  
  
Frederick hoisted Will up, locking his legs around his waist, and carried him to Will’s room, where he threw him down on the bed and climbed over him.  
  
They tangled together, a mess of tongues, saliva, and groaning. Their hands flew about, legs twisting  with each other, until Will breathed out, “I think I wanna suck your cock.”  
  
Frederick drew out a long breath that turned into a needy moan. He shifted himself so Will could sit up as he let the younger boy pin him down.  
  
Will was bossy when he was horny; Frederick knew this already. He let himself relax as Will tongued both nipples in turn. His hands splayed across his chest, fingers finding refuge in the sprinkling of dark hair spreading across it. He slid his tongue down the raised flesh of Frederick's scar, looking up at him cautiously to make sure this action was okay. It was, apparently, because Frederick moaned, squirming.  
  
Will hooked his fingers in Frederick's slacks as he continued to suck further down his body, finding the scar's end several inches above the boy's pubic hair. Will yanked his pants down, along with his black briefs, throwing them across the room. Dark curls pitched forward as Will took Frederick into his mouth.  
  
Will had never done this before. He hadn't even imagined doing it before, save the past several weeks. He loved the taste of Frederick's cock instantly, moaned at the weight of it on his tongue. He was thick, thicker than Will, and the young boy had to put all thoughts of self-consciousness out of his mind in order to successfully navigate the task at hand.  
  
He laved his tongue upwards, looking up from beneath thick lashes as Frederick arched his back, crying out and pinching his own nipples. The senior boy had been whimpering softly at first, but as Will flicked his tongue over the head of his lover’s dick, those soft mewls turned to indigent growls. Will swirled his tongue, seeking his slit and attending to it carefully.  
  
He bobbed his head, his tongue working, hands splayed out at Frederick's balls. The older boy had gone lax, hands spread out in Will's hair, pushing his head farther down onto his pulsing cock. "Will, Will, fuck, Will" was the chorus that burst forth from his lips. When Will licked a long stripe from balls to tip, Frederick pulled Will's head off with a mangled moan.  
  
"The fun has barely begun, dear Will. We can't have it all be over too quickly."  
  
"I wanted to taste your cum," Will protested, smirking as Frederick's cock twitched at his words. The older boy let out a horny cry as he attacked Will's mouth with kisses, cupping his face in his hands.  
  
"You're such a  _slut_ , Will," he mewled, nuzzling at the exposed flesh of his neck, his hands slipping down to tickle Will's ass. "Such a dirty, dirty slut."  
  
"Only for you," Will breathed, and Frederick lost it. He pushed Will down, backing him up against the pillows. Will's legs instinctively spread out, his dick straining visibly against his jeans.  
  
"Is that for me?" Frederick asked jokingly, referring to the lovely sight of Will's evident need. Will just lay there with a smirk. He unbuttoned Will's trousers slowly, taking care to intentionally brush his fingers carefully into Will's bulge, enjoying the quivering whimpers his touch drew out of Will. When he had wrestled his pants off, Frederick snapped his head down, grabbing the band of Will's tiny blue boxers in his teeth and yanking them down.  
  
Every hair on Will's body stood up. He could feel himself blushing bright red with self-consciousness, breathing heavily. Frederick's hand closed around his cock, pumping gently, and every other thought floating around in Will’s head vanished instantly. Frederick bent his head to lap up the pre-cum dripping off Will's erection, his tongue catching the clear drops of salty liquid and causing both lovers to moan softly.  
  
"Spread your legs again, baby," Frederick urged softly, running his hands down the inside of Will's thighs. "That's it. Relax." He slid off the bed, retreating to his bag on the floor.  
  
As Frederick climbed back on the bed, Will got another glimpse of his cock, and he was suddenly washed with a feeling of terror. "You're too big," he choked out, his legs closing slightly as his body shook.  
  
"Yeah, I'm huge," Frederick smirked, sitting back on his haunches and stroking himself with two fingers.  
  
"Stop it..." Will was thrashing now, not wanting to disappoint Frederick but not sure he could go through with this. He closed his eyes, body shaking with arousal he was petrified he couldn't denounce. "You're too big, won't fit inside me."  
  
The snapping of a cap made Will's eyes fly open. "What do you think this is for?" Frederick grinned, slicking his fingers with lube, coming forward to drizzle quite a large amount on Will's ass.  
  
Will shivered at the feeling.  
  
Frederick leaned up to press a kiss to Will's lips. "If it hurts too much, tell me. I'll go slow."  
  
He pressed light kisses along Will's legs, spreading them back open with one hand. He lifted Will's hips slightly, sucking softly on Will's sac before trailing a finger along his ass, slowly working one inside his hole.  
  
Will wasn't used to the sensation just yet, even from fingering himself, and he clenched up instantly, a low groan emanating from his throat.  
  
"Will," Frederick warned. "You need to relax." He took Will's cock in his hand again, massaging it lightly. His lips trailed his ass, licking gently at his cheeks. When he could feel Will let out a breath and slack his muscles a bit, Frederick pushed his finger into him and out again, once, twice, three times.  
  
"How's that?" Frederick hummed.  
  
"Weird," Will admitted. "It feels really, really- _holy shit!_ "  
  
Frederick had inserted a second finger, curving them both upwards, brushing against Will's prostate lightly. The younger boy was a muddle of quick raging hormones, suddenly encouraged by the pleasure, rocking himself down onto his boyfriend’s fingers.  
  
"Yes, baby, that's it, see?" Frederick stroked his inner thigh as he added a third finger.  
  
Will was barely able to breathe through the waves of desire rocketing through his body. He tried in vain to grab onto something to steady himself. Then, in an instant, Frederick withdrew his fingers. Will would have protested had the older boy not pushed Will's legs up and slipped his tongue into Will's ass.  
  
Frederick was doing tantalizing things with his tongue that Will could barely fathom. His hole was still tight, but Frederick was able to loosen him even more with his tongue. Will buried his hands in Frederick's short hair, legs jerking wildly.  
  
"Frederick, please, I..." Will's breathing came in ragged, needy gasps. "I'm ready."  
  
Frederick pulled away, reaching for a condom, tearing off the wrapper, and sliding it onto his prick. He popped open the lube again, generously applying it to himself. Will looked at him with the sluttiest look he could manage, hand sliding to wrap around his own cock, then moving down to circle his ass.  
  
"Fuck me," he hissed.  
  
" _There's_  my cockslut Will Graham," Frederick growled proudly, aligning his hips with Will's and pushing the younger boy's feet up so they hung over Frederick's shoulders.  
  
Both boys cried out as Frederick slowly pushed into Will, the sensations setting their hearts racing and their souls on fire.  
  
"Fuck, Will," the older boy groaned, leaning down to kiss Will's swollen lips. "Fuck _, dios mio_ , you're so tight!"  
  
He was indeed; the smaller boy was having trouble keeping his grasp on reality, his breathing ragged and short.  
  
"Fred...Fred..." Will's words were hardly intelligible as he held onto his lover, his hands tightening around his back. " _Frederick_..."  
  
His lover planted a kiss to Will's shiny forehead, his thrusts still gentle in order to let Will adjust. Will's command was so quiet he could barely hear it, yet there was no mistaking the "harder" that escaped from between Will's strangled moans.  
  
Frederick obliged, grinding into him more quickly, more deeply, sucking hard on his neck as his hips snapped to meet Will's. The younger boy's hands gripped Frederick's arms tightly, sure to leave bruises come morning. Frederick growled at the pressure, sucking harder on Will's neck.  
  
"I want you to walk into Psychology class on Monday covered in hickies, Will," Frederick murmured in between small nips. "I want every damn person in that class, fuck, the school, to know who was responsible," his thrusts turned to ruts, growing rapid and irregular. "Because, Will,  _it was me_  who gave them to you."  
  
Will was so far gone, so far from earth. Nothing mattered to him but Frederick, and how their bodies shared one space, became one with each other. Frederick's cock was sliding against his prostate, he was pushing back into him, and he knew he couldn't last long.  
  
"Fuck, Frederick!" his voice was edging on hoarse screams now, his hands digging into Frederick's biceps. His lover could feel the way Will was tightening again, his muscles preparing to spasm, so he gripped Will's cock in one hand, jerking him hard, urging him towards release.  
  
Will fell completely lax, his legs dropping to lock lazily around Frederick's hips. He let Frederick take complete control, pounded into him in time with the movements of his hand. "Gonna...gonna come," Will managed.  
  
"Come for me, Will," Frederick sighed against Will's ear, kissing the top of his jaw.  
  
Will's orgasm hit with the power and fire of the sun; he saw stars as he came, clenching and spurting, screaming out his lover's name as his back arched, his toes curled, and he swore he had just gotten a taste of heaven.  
  
The vibrations lit a fire in Frederick as he came without warning, doubling over on top of Will, breathing heavily as his mind grew foggy.  
  
They laid like that, Will's hands trailing Frederick's back as the two breathed hard against each other's stomachs. Frederick slipped out of Will, not moving from his position on the other boy's lithe form.  
  
Will looked into Frederick's eyes and saw love. The older boy's hand came up to move Will's sweaty curls from his forehead and he sighed into his mouth as he kissed him deeply.  
  
"I love you," Will breathed.  
  
"I love you," Frederick assured him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (PS--in my head, the horror film they watched was My Soul To Take. Not saying that this is exclusively 2010 or anything, it's just what I had in mind.)
> 
> In case it's needed:  
> Cariño--a pet name, basically "darling"  
> Me gusta tu cara--I like your face  
> Mi corazon--my heart  
> Te amo--I love you


	5. Waterfall

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> EDIT, August 6, 2014: I have combined several chapters with each other in order to condense the fic a bit. The content is exactly the same, but some chapters have been combined. Thank you all for reading, and I hope it'll be a bit easier to get through now that there aren't as many chapters.
> 
>  
> 
> Sorry for the delay, guys! It's short, but I hope it makes up for it.

Will couldn’t fathom a better way to wake up than snuggled into Frederick’s chest. He kissed him lightly, slipping out from under his arms silently, praying he wouldn’t wake up the other boy. He snuck into the kitchen, readying the ingredients he had picked up several days ago, just in case this exact situation would occur.

He knew Frederick couldn’t digest animal proteins, so he had googled recipes safe for vegan meals. Oatmeal waffles seemed like a fun enough feat, and he wanted to surprise his boyfriend with breakfast in bed. He readied the food as fast as possible, and he was just flipping the waffle machine when he felt strong arms envelope him from behind and soft lips brushing his neck.

“Good morning, baby,” Frederick whispered, fingers playing at Will’s hipbones. “Sleep well?”

“Of course I did,” Will murmured. “But I wanted to surprise you with breakfast in bed.”

“Oooh,” Frederick crooned, kissing Will’s hair. “What are you making?”

“Oatmeal waffles,” Will said, throwing the first waffle on a plate.

“Very thoughtful,” Frederick grinned. He shimmied up to Will’s back, grinding his pelvis into the curve of Will’s ass.

“I’m trying to make waffles, honey,” Will leaned back to kiss him, his stomach lighting on fire as he realized how much like a cheesy married couple they sounded.

They ate the waffles snuggled on the couch and watched television, Frederick twining his fingers through Will’s curls. Frederick appreciated Will's gesture of a thoughtful breakfast even more than he let on.

On a walk with Winston later, Will finally worked up the courage to ask Frederick about his past experiences. Will still wasn’t officially out at school, and after hearing Alana’s description of what had happened with Frederick, he wasn’t sure it was safe.

“Freddie Lounds was a freshman at the time,” Frederick explained. “Somebody made the smart decision to make her an assistant editor on the staff of the school paper, and she started snooping around everyone’s business. One day she went into the boys’ bathroom and she found me, ah, _servicing_ a senior. She told everyone that I’m gay—mind you, it wasn’t wrong, and she only did it to stir trouble. It did just that. Abel Gideon hasn’t left me alone since. It’s not as bad as it was, but...” he trailed off.

“So will it ruin your life if we make our relationship public?” Will asked in a small voice, letting Winston’s leash slack a bit.

“That’s a sacrifice I’m willing to risk,” Frederick smiled, holding Will’s hand in his own. “Besides, doesn’t Dr. Lecter already know?”

“Oh God,” Will groaned. “I forgot he gave me detention on Monday.” The Psychology teacher had called Will’s dad the day after their last class, telling him to alert Will that he would be demanding a detention with him the following Monday. Will had a sneaking suspicion that Dr. Lecter liked Will as a student, just as long as he didn't associate himself with Frederick. This amused Will; did the teacher really think he would choose a teacher's slight affection over the love he shared with his boyfriend?

Frederick laughed. “Tell me again how that conversation went.”

“He told me I shouldn’t admire you,” Will smirked slyly. “To which I replied that I _do_ admire you, and not just your ability to kiss.”

Frederick threw his head back with a clear, sweet laugh that made Will's stomach twist happily.

“Which, by the way, is phenomenal,” Will whispered into his ear.

Frederick grinned, grabbing Will and kissing him hard, taking the side of his head in his hand. His tongue had just pressed inside Will’s mouth, flicking over Will’s own tongue, when Winston barked and broke away from the couple, nearly pulling Will’s arm out of its socket.

They made it back to Will’s house in one piece, and Will received a text from his dad, notifying him that he would be home early, in only three hours.

“Three hours?” Frederick ran a hand through his hair, which had lost a lot of product and wasn’t looking the way it normally did. “May I use your shower, please?”

Frederick took a shower while Will tried to work on homework. This proved to be the most difficult homework assignment he had ever done, not because of the work itself, but because he couldn’t stop thinking about Frederick standing naked and wet in his own shower.

After five minutes, the throbbing in his pants got the best of him and Will knocked on the bathroom door.

“Come in,” Frederick’s voice floated from the inside of the shower. “I’ve been waiting for you.”

Will stripped out of his clothes and threw back the curtain.

“Oh fuck,” Frederick hissed upon the sight of the visibly quivering smaller boy, hair ruffled and cock half-hard. “Ohhhh, fuck. Come here.”

Will stepped into the shower, nearly falling over on the cold wet floor. Frederick steadied him with his hands, kissing him full as Will felt cool water envelope his body. Frederick began kissing Will, lifting his leg to wrap around his waist. Will’s entire body trembled as their cocks rutted together.

“Frederick,” he groaned, head swimming as blood rushed to his erection. “We don’t have much time.”

That was apparently all the older boy needed to hear, because he dropped to his knees, sucking Will into his mouth. Will had to fight not to fall over—the water falling around him made the sensations even more powerful, and his legs were shaking uncontrollably as Frederick ran his tongue along Will’s shaft. Will’s hips jerked forward, panting hard. Frederick blew softly on the head, the feeling lighting a fire in Will as it clashed with the warm shower water. Will delved his hands into Frederick’s hair, dragging him down, panting audibly.

Will felt the pressure build in his stomach as Frederick dragged his tongue over Will’s sac, sucking slowly. He could barely choke out his boyfriend’s name when the senior sucked hard, bobbing his head and flicking his tongue over Will’s slit. He came without warning, doubling over as the shaking in his legs took over and he slid down the back of the shower.

Frederick bent down to kiss him, and Will shivered pleasantly as the tasted himself on Frederick’s tongue. It was a weird sensation, to say the least, but he cradled Frederick’s head in his hands, kissing him slow.

“My dad’ll be home soon,” Will said dejectedly, his voice muffled in a post-orgasmic state of euphoria.

The two dressed each other, trying to delay their inevitable goodbye. Will laughed at the two of them; they would be apart for only a day, but they were acting like it was a lifetime. He supposed this must be the blessed honeymoon phase he has heard happy couples discuss.

Will walked Frederick outside, kissing him hard, and watched him drive away, blowing him a kiss as he went.

When Will’s dad asked how his weekend was while preparing fresh fish, Will’s only response was “exhilarating.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I promise there will be actual plot again once they go back to school :)


	6. Short Message Service

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: offensive name-calling (homophobic slurs).  
> For the texting scene:  
> Will's messages to Frederick are in italics, Frederick's to Will are in regular font.

It had been a month since their first make out session, and things were going well. They had timidly approached the wide-scale acknowledgment of their relationship to the school, but nobody was paying much attention in any negative ways. Will was doing well in school despite the obvious distractions; he was scraping by with middle range Bs in most classes, except for Psychology, where he held at an A- thanks to Dr. Lecter’s unwanted affection for Will and his affinity for the class. The freshman’s Spanish performance had improved drastically since Frederick’s tutoring sessions, although Will was mostly picking up curses and love words, which weren’t too helpful on tests.

On this particular October day, Frederick was preparing to leave for a senior retreat, which he would be on for an entire week. Will was panicking, made near delusional by the reality that he wouldn’t see his beloved boyfriend for a week. It was only the gentle squeezes of Frederick’s hand around his that calmed him and brought him back to earth.

It was lunchtime, and the two were talking against the lockers.

“I miss sucking you off,” Will admitted through a small whisper in Frederick’s ear.

“Ah, yes. That thing you do!” Frederick grinned at him, tilting his head. “Quite brilliant, may I add.”

“Stop it!” Will protested, giving him a playful whack to the shoulder.

“I’ll miss you so much,” Frederick whispered, his voice dropping to a low serious tone.

“I’ll miss _you_ ,” Will stood on the tips of his toes to kiss Frederick softly on the forehead. The pair had moved their angles to kiss, but then something hit Will in the back of the head. “What—”

A squat, watery eyed, brown-haired boy had just thrown a rock or something of the sort at Will, who spun around.

“No,” he heard Frederick whisper in his ear. “That’s Abel. Don’t get into it, Will.”

“Got yourself a little freshman fag there, Frederick?” the boy called. “Do you finally get to live up to your title of supreme cocksucker of the school?”

Will bristled as the boy approached him. He didn’t want to get into any trouble, but he couldn’t let anyone talk to Frederick that way.

“Only took two years to earn it back,” Abel laughed, doubling over at his own words. His eyes turned to Will. “Does he suck your cock?”

“Very well, thanks!” Will replied brightly, and Frederick punched him in the back lightly. He assumed this was a warning.

“Woah, too much information, wee one!” Abel held up his hands. “I’m not one of the fags here, remember.”

Hatred boiled in Will’s gut. He was just trying to stir things up. So he turned, grabbed Frederick, and kissed him hard on the mouth.

He knew he shouldn’t have done it. The hallway was more or less deserted, but he heard the click of a phone camera, saw a flash of bright red hair out of the corner of his eye. But he didn’t care. All that mattered was Frederick.

Abel was skulking away angrily when they pulled back, and the nosy girl he could only assume had been Freddie Lounds had fled.

“I’m sorry,” Will looked at the ground.

“It’s okay, Will. I’m not going to hide my love for you. I’ve spent too much of my life hiding things.”

When the bell rang, they kissed again, quickly this time, and said their goodbyes with bated breaths, knowing they wouldn’t see each other at the end of the day before Frederick left.

“See you in a week,” Frederick said affectionately, squeezing Will’s hand.

When they had parted, Will felt as though there was a huge gaping hole in his heart.

**

Someone poked Will in the back repeatedly seven times in art class before he finally turned around, whipping around to look straight into the bright blue eyes of Margot Verger, someone he had never even spoken to. Her hair was curled in ringlets, and she was wearing entirely too much lipstick.

“Is it true you’re dating Frederick Chilton?”

Will glared at her and turned back around. He didn’t want to resort to petty conversations that might just cause trouble.

“Will!” two more taps hit his back, harder this time. “I think you should see this.”

The brunette girl offered him her phone. “What’s this?” he asked, tapping the screen.

“Our school’s Facebook page. Freddie Lounds monitors it. She posts rumors and pictures and stuff like that.”

He scrolled down and saw the picture of him and Frederick, posed in their passionate kiss from lunch. The caption was “ _Senior and freshman: Lunch date or heat of the moment kiss? Tattle at me!_ ”

Will smiled at it despite himself. Will’s arms were wrapped around Frederick’s back, pressing into the soft fabric of his black shirt. He loved the way they looked together; Frederick’s straight hair shining under the fluorescent lights, the way his hand cradled Will’s face, the look of their lips molding together. He made a mental note to save the photo on his own phone when he got home so it would help him get through the week.

“Yes, we are dating,” he said brightly, returning the phone to Margot.

“Hm,” she pressed her lips together. “You don’t seem the type to be into men, but I guess this picture says otherwise.”

Will chuckled to himself; it was though he was being stamped with labels nonstop. Alana had assumed it instantly, and here was Margot saying “nah…” while Beverly’s initial reaction had been more along the lines of “Okay…gay? You go, Will!”

Frederick wasn’t allowed to have his phone with him on the retreat, but he had promised Will that he would sneak him a text or two when he could. Will checked his phone quite often while doing homework, wondering what Frederick was currently doing. He knew some of the itineraries included going to the ocean, and the thought of Frederick in a swimsuit made Will feel the need to lie down, so he did, staring at the ceiling. He was preparing to go to bed when his phone buzzed. It was Frederick.

(10:56P.M.)

Hey baby!

(10:57)

_Hiya sweetheart._

(10:58)

I miss you.

(10:58)

_I miss you too._

(11:00)

So how was the rest of your day?

(11:01)

_Uneventful. Oh, well, wait, Freddie Lounds posted the picture on Facebook._

(11:02)

Oh God.

(11:03)

_Nah, I think it’s really hot._

_(attachment: 1 image)_

(11:05)

Shit, you’re right. I love you, Will.

(11:06)

_I love you too, Fred._

(11:07)

Fred? That’s new. I like it.

(11:09)

_Good._

(11:10)

I’ve got to go, darling. I’ll text you tomorrow, or whenever I can. I’ll be thinking about you.

(11:12)

_Night! I love you._

(11:13)

I love you.

 

**

 

Two days later, the school had an early dismissal, and Will found himself being dragged to a science club meeting by Beverly. He was introduced to her friends from this club, Brian, a freshman like them, and Jimmy, a sophomore. The two were inseparable and luckily, they did all the talking. Will found himself sitting in the corner watching the three argue over DNA samples while he stared at his phone, hoping for a text from Frederick he knew wouldn’t come until later that evening, if at all.

Brian kept trying to get Will to swab DNA from his tongue, so Will took this as his cue to leave. He waved a goodbye to Beverly and her two friends and left the campus in order to walk home.

Even though he missed Frederick with every fiber of his being, his dad was taking him fishing that night, meaning that he would be able to take his mind off the rest of the world. Will absolutely loved fishing, plus it was a good time to bond a bit with his dad, who was really a nice guy when he was in a good mood.

Will still hadn’t told him about Frederick, although Mr. Graham had met the man twice while they were “studying.” His dad assumed they were just friends, which Will assumed was a good start.

That night, while Will cast his line out into the water, he made the long-coming decision to tell his dad. Mr. Graham wasn’t homophobic, he knew, but he could be very judgmental. With every ounce of confidence and bravery he could muster, Will took a deep breath.

“Dad?”

“Yes, Will?” His dad actually turned to make eye contact with him, which made Will feel both better and worse.

He could feel his voice shrink in his throat before the words even came out of his mouth. He was about to say  _I’m gay_ , but he still wasn’t sure if he was exclusively attracted to men. Right now, Frederick was the only person he could ever envision being attracted to.

“Frederick is my boyfriend.”

Mr. Graham almost dropped the tackle box, his eyes wide. “What? You mean, you’re gay?”

Will didn’t want to explain his take on the situation right now, so he just nodded.

“Jesus Christ, Will,” his dad tightened his grip on his line. “How long has this been going on?”

“A while,” was all Will would say.

“Is he good to you?” his dad asked, and Will felt his chest swell up at the acceptance he was offering.

“Very much so,” Will nodded.

“Well, be careful, is all I’m saying,” his dad warned, returning to his fishing state of mind.

Will felt a lot better.

After a shower later that night, Will snuggled into his sheets, his mind turning to Frederick. He missed his face, his voice, his touch…

His phone buzzed.

(11:21 P.M.)

Will?

(11:21)

_Hey._

(11:22)

Oh good, you’re awake.

(11:22)

_I’m here!_

(11:22)

What’s up, baby doll?

(11:23)

_Nothing much. Went fishing today. Now I’m just stretched out on my bed thinking about you. How are you?_

(11:25)

I’m okay. The retreat isn’t everything it’s cracked up to be, but we do a lot of meditation type exercises, meaning I get to think about you quite a lot.

(11:26)

_I miss you, Frederick._

(11:26)

I miss you too, Will baby.

(11:27)

_Fuck me._

(11:27)

Excuse me?

(11:27)

_Pleeeeaaaaseeeee?_

(11:28)

Are you suggesting the subtle art of sexting?

(11:28)

_Maybe._

(11:29)

Well, are your pants off?

(11:30)

_Now they are._

(11:31)

Good. I want you to touch yourself. Are you good at typing with one hand?

(11:32)

_Aaajsdjkeajlaaq.?s,._

(11:32)

Apparently not.

(11:33)

_Ooh, fuck, Fred, I need you._

(11:33)

And I need you, darling Will.

(11:34)

_What kinds of things are you going to do to me when you get home?_

(11:36)

I’m going to throw you on the bed and kiss you so hard you’ll be bruising in a minute. I’m going to take you in my mouth, and when you’re just about to come, I’ll back off just to watch you squirm.

(11:37)

_Oh God._

(11:37)

That’s right, baby, and then I’m going to eat out your tight pretty ass.

(11:38)

_OH MY GOD_

(11:38)

That’s what I thought.

(11:39)

_whatthehellareyoudoingtome_

(11:40)

This is quite fun. I wish I could actually see your face right now.

(11:41)

_I’m a mess._

(11:42)

A hot mess, I’d reckon.

(11:42)

_You wanna know the very first thought that popped into my head the first time I saw you in Dr. Lecter’s class?_

(11:43)

Do tell.

(11:43)

_I thought “holy shit I think I’m gay”_

(11:44)

You did not.

(11:45)

_Yes I did._

(11:45)

My elbows were bleeding and my hair was a mess.

(11:46)

_A hot mess, I’d reckon._

(11:46)

Oh my god shut up.

(11:46)

_Make me._

(11:47)

Don’t tempt me.

(11:47)

_My cock is so hard right now._

(11:47)

Same. 

(11:48)

_Frederick…_

(11:48)

Yes, Will?

(11:49)

_I need your mouth on me._

(11:49)

You feel so good in my mouth, baby, you have no idea.

(11:50)

_Agudfshsaksa_

(11:50)

I don’t know what you’re saying.

(11:51)

_You’re so fucking hot, you’re so gorgeous oh my god_

(11:52)

You’re just lucky I’m not sharing my cabin with anyone else or they might get suspicious.

(11:53)

_Are you touching yourself?_

(11:53)

Yes, and seeing as I’m typing in English, I’m doing a better job than you are right now.

(11:54)

_I want you to drag your cock along my ass._

(11:55)

God yes.

(11:55)

_You’re so big, oh my God, and you fit so damn perfectly inside me._

(11:56)

Your hot little ass isn’t a bad sight either, you know.

(11:56)

_I love when you cry out in Spanish._

(11:57)

Don’t think I don’t notice how that makes your cock twitch.

(11:57)

_So you do it on purpose?_

(11:57)

For the most part.

(11:58)

_I want you to fuck me into my mattress so hard. Oh my God, please please please._

(11:58)

You want to know what I thought the first time I laid eyes on you?

(11:58)

_Yes_

(12:00 A.M.)

_I thought, “Who is that hot ass freshman? I want him, and I want him badly.” You really helped make that first day better. Except of course, the anxiety that you might not be gay._

(12:01)

_Well, I am. And my ass is oh so ready for you to fuck._

(12:03)

Dammit, Will. You’re so gorgeous, you know that? I’m going to pound you so hard you see only stars and scream only my name. You’re going to weep into the pillow, collapsing, your legs not able to support you, while I fuck you harder than I ever have before. I love you so much, William Graham. I am so in love with you, and it’s going to be your name that spills from my mouth when I come undone inside of you.

(12:05)

_I just made a mess of myself._

(12:06)

Me too.

(12:06)

_I’m sad you’re not here to lap it up._

(12:07)

How I wish I could, baby. Just three more days, okay?

(12:08)

_Yes._

(12:09)

I should probably get some rest. You should too.

(12:10)

_Probably. Goodnight. I love you._

(12:10)

I love you, too, Will.

(12:11)

_Thank you for this._

(12:12)

No, thank you.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You're welcome for all the little canon quote easter eggs.  
> Shoutout to Narcy and Emma with the "okay gay" quote.


	7. Reunited

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Attached is a quote collage of this fic made by my lovely friend Narcy!

 

Will was a mess by the time Friday came around; he had taken to chewing on the end of his pen, a habit he had picked up from his boyfriend. Dr. Lecter noticed this during Psychology and confiscated his pen, forbidding him from completed any written work during the class period.

With no real Frederick to distract him in class, instead of focusing all his attention on the class, Will found himself thinking of Frederick anyway, fawning over how much he missed the boy. Dr. Lecter was talking about desires, both mentally and physically, and the means humans used to achieve them. Will’s mind was elsewhere, his body shaking slightly as he pictured Frederick’s conditioned hair, his bright green eyes, the way his shirts tightened over his muscles, the charming grace of his smile.

Frederick would be returning to school at 3PM that day, and it was all Will could do to force himself to wait that long.

Lunch came and went; he ate with Alana, Beverly, and the science club boys, Brian and Jimmy. The four tried to raise Will’s spirits, but he stared dejectedly out at the courtyard.

Will was ready to completely zone out when art class came, but he was interrupted from his daydreams when Margot Verger slammed her books down next to him and sat down.

“Hi, Will,” she said. Her hair was pulled back in a bun, and her lipstick was so bright and red Will was scared he would go blind. He looked down at his art supplies.

“Hello, Margot.”

“When’s your boyfriend coming back?” she asked brightly.

“Today,” Will said, the affirmation of it out loud making his heart flutter excitedly.

“Well, that’s good,” Margot said, nodding. She shifted, and Will noticed that her arm was in a cast. He also noticed her wrists and hands were bedazzled with extremely expensive jewelry, from rings to bracelets, all embezzled with what Will assumed were real diamonds.

“What happened to your arm?” Will asked casually, expecting some story about sports, perhaps volleyball or track.

“My brother,” she said simply, her red lips pursing and her blue eyes turning icy.

“ _What_?” Will was more than slightly confused.

“Just between you and me, Mason thinks it’s great fun to torture me,” she lowered her voice. “He’s under the impression that people will do anything for a simple candy bar. He was testing me out, shoving me around, and he dislocated my arm,” she stared out the window, shoulders shaking very slightly. “The chocolate wasn’t even good.”

“Holy shit,” Will mumbled. He had never met Mason in person, but he remembered Alana and Beverly’s stories about him in their biology class. From the way he sounded, he hoped that he never crossed him.

“Yeah, it’s a problem. Papa takes him to a therapist, but he skips out almost every week, and when he does go, the shrink complains to Papa about his behaviors in the office, let alone whatever he tells him. Mason runs the daycare at the elementary school, you know. The children hate him. It’s money, yes, but I’ve been trying to work out a way to get him fired for two years now.”

Will was under the impression that Margot did not have a lot of people to tell her problems to, so he sat and listened, trying to focus on her words and not the thought that he would be seeing Frederick in a mere two hours.

“I don’t think I’ve ever even seen Mason before,” Will offered as small talk.

“Be thankful for that,” Margot said slyly. “But if you’d seen him, you would know. He’s lithe and blue eyed, and he wears these stupid glasses with invisible bottom frames. He’s always overdressed, and his hair sticks up so badly; he always looks like he just got electrocuted.”

Will let out a laugh at that.

By the end of the day, Will was so exhausted that he was running purely on his excitement to see Frederick. He stood out in front of the school, waiting for the bus to pull up. When he saw it in the distance, he nearly fell over with eagerness.

He felt like he should have brought flowers or something, but all other thoughts faded away when Frederick stepped off the bus.

Will nearly had a heart attack. Frederick’s jaw was dusted with scruff, his hair as windswept as the day they’d first met. He was obviously tired, his shoulders sagging a bit, but Will had never seen him look so sexy.

Frederick turned, saw Will, and broke into a sprint as fast and clean as his limp allowed. He staggered into Will’s arms, gasping with relief as their bodies pressed flush against each other.

“Will, Will, Will,” he let out, his words flying together as he pressed his nose into Will’s curls.

“Frederick,” Will nearly growled. “Shhhh, baby, it’s okay. I’m here. You’re here.”

Frederick’s car was still parked in the senior parking lot along with several of the other seniors, and Frederick almost dragged Will towards it, pulling him inside and onto his lap.

Their mouths met, pressing together hungrily. Will’s fingers went straight to Frederick’s jaw, caressing the scratchy hairs. When their lips pulled off, Will nuzzled against his cheek, loving the feel of the bristles on his skin.

“Fuck, I love your beard,” Will moaned.

“Really?” Frederick laughed. “I forgot my razor. Stupid, really.”

“Oh, God, you should keep this all the time,” Will pressed his lips to the whiskers.

“Well, I’m glad it makes you so happy.”

“ _You_ make me so happy,” Will whispered, letting his lips nip softly at Frederick’s neck. “Oh, Frederick, I missed you so much.”

“I missed you, Will.”

“Do you want to tell me about the retreat?” Will asked, hands slipping to Frederick’s shoulders.

“I’d rather just fuck you,” Frederick gasped, thrusting his hips up against Will’s.

“In the car?” Will asked. “Kinky!”

“ _Anywhere_ ,” Frederick growled in response. “The windows are tinted, though, if that helps.”

Will responded by tearing off Frederick’s shirt, attacking his mouth with kisses as Frederick unbuttoned the freshman’s shirt.

“I don’t know how this is going to work in here,” Will admitted, thinking back to their first make out session in the car and how worried he had been that it wouldn’t work.

Frederick pushed the steering wheel back as far as it would go, giving them a bit more room before he started unzipping Will’s jeans. This proved to be a challenge, so Will climbed over to the passenger seat and tore off his pants, followed by his underwear, while Frederick did the same.

Will laid himself out on the passenger seat, legs up on the seat, and raised an eyebrow at Frederick. His hand dipped to his half-hard cock, pumping it slowly, other hand moving to his mouth as he slipped one finger inside and sucked on it. Frederick moaned at the sight, beckoning to Will with a finger. Will scrambled back over onto Frederick’s lap, their dicks rutting together. Their lips crashed against each other, Will’s hands moving back to the senior’s jaw.

“I love you so much, Fred,” Will groaned, his cock beginning to leak pre-come.

“I love you so fucking much, William Graham,” Frederick hissed. Will laughed; he had called Frederick by a nickname while Frederick had used his full name. He sucked on Frederick’s tongue before nodding at him.

“Do you…keep lube in here?”

“Nah,” Frederick mumbled, fumbling a bit. “Looks like we’ll have to go old fashioned. I do, however, have condoms in the glove compartment.”

“Jesus Christ, Fred,” Will growled, lifting himself up a bit. Frederick stuck two fingers in Will’s mouth, and Will spit indignantly, wetting them sufficiently. He groaned as his hole was filled, stretched, and _fuck_ —he fell forward against Frederick’s chest as he felt fingers press against his prostate. “Where did you learn how to _do_ this?”

“I interned at a hospital last summer,” Frederick grinned. “I know quite a lot about the human anatomy.” He said this as he thrusted his fingers quickly, leaving Will squirming and heaving.

“Okay, fuck, I’m ready, I’m ready.” Will dropped to his knees, sucking Frederick into his mouth to provide a bit more friction with his wet licks. He leaned up, letting Frederick align himself as Will slid down as far as he could, letting Frederick fill him.

They had never fucked in this position, and Will felt tears gather in his eyes from sheer pleasure. This gave them a whole new depth and a whole new level of closeness. He cradled Frederick’s bearded face in his hands and kissed him as the older boy thrusted his hips.

This was more intimate than the other times they had fucked; this was gentler and sweeter, and when Will came, it was with his lips latched onto Frederick’s, his breathing coming in hot quick gasps as his fingers gripped Frederick’s back.

“Please don’t leave me,” Will whispered.

“Never again, Will. I promise,” Frederick groaned out softly, kissing Will’s neck, hands tangling in the boy’s curly locks. “Never again.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for the delay; most of my time has been spent accidentally coming up with another au: the film I Origins. Unfortunately, though, it takes a lot of dedication to write a sufficient au for a film barely anyone has seen. I'll be sticking with these teenage goofs for a while, don't worry.


	8. Rush

Life progressed as normal in the following weeks. Will was introduced to Frederick’s mother, a sweet, tiny woman who fawned over Will and insisted on multiple occasions that he stay for dinner. She was fond of cooking chicken and rice (just rice for Frederick) and asking Will hundreds of questions ranging from his life in Louisiana to schoolwork to fishing techniques.

The question of the boys’ romantic relationship never came up with Mrs. Chilton. Either she knew and didn’t mind, or perhaps just assumed. Nevertheless, she could always be counted on to welcome Will over and give him countless smiles.

Perhaps Will’s favorite visits to Frederick’s house were the ones in which his mother showed Will pictures from Frederick’s childhood. No matter how many times the older boy put his foot down, Will enthusiastically leapt at the chances. Well-documented photo albums left no gaps in the progression of Frederick from infant to toddler to child to teen. The classic embarrassing baby photos, a doctor’s costume from an early Halloween (“I’ve always wanted him to be a surgeon,” Mrs. Chilton explained), more sophisticated middle school portraits, and (this surprised even Will) shots from plays and musicals Frederick had been in. Frederick was obscenely embarrassed by most of these, but his mother promised to show Will some old tapes of the shows sometime.

Will’s father, gruffer and less open than Mrs. Chilton, stayed out of the way when Frederick came to Will’s house. Mr. Graham’s rule was “if I can hear you, you’re too loud,” which Will assumed applied across a spectrum that included talking, laughing, and anything sexual. Mr. Graham was slightly perturbed that Frederick couldn’t eat fish, because that was what he usually cooked five out of seven times a week, but he made do. He respected Frederick because he knew the boy made Will happy.

Winston also loved Frederick’s company, demanding nonstop head scratches and belly rubs. Will loved watching the two of them together, especially on the occasions in which Winston insisted that Frederick get up from a very comfortable position to play.

Frederick had decided upon a new regiment based upon Will’s earlier reaction: he did not shave for three day periods at a time, allowing a nice dusting of scruff to splay across his chin and jaw by the third day. This drove Will absolutely insane.

One Psychology class, Dr. Lecter was exhorting upon the subject of conditioning. “Ivan Pavlov,” he was saying, “a Russian psychiatrist, is best known for his work in the study of classical conditioning.”

Across the classroom, Frederick was running his hand torturously slow along his jawline, fully aware that Will was watching him.

 _That little bastard_ , Will thought, shifting in his chair, trying to will his blood to not rush downwards.

“Pavlov noticed changes in dogs from the stimulus of being fed,” Dr. Lecter went on. “Dogs are already hardwired knowing to salivate when they see food. Eventually, Pavlov realized that anything a dog had learned to _associate_ with food would trigger a response; in this case, that response being salivation.”

Frederick traced the contours of his jaw with the end of his pen before slowly moving it to his mouth. By this point, Will was done for. He let his boner happen, his hands sliding slowly down to rest as nonchalantly as possible over his crotch.

 _Of fucking course_ , this small action did not go unnoticed by Dr. Lecter, whose eyes stared Will down as he continued his lecture.

“Furthermore, Pavlov discovered that two stimuli must be presented very close together in time. This is known as the law of temporal contiguity. If the time frame is too large, then learning will not occur. Now, for your assignment, I want you to focus on stimuli and the cause and effect of classical conditioning. What makes this an effective method? What are the faults, or things that you may miss by using this procedure? I want you to design your own experiment that expresses a different process but echoes what classical conditioning strives to achieve. I want two full pages minimum. Due next class, but please start now.”

Will scrambled for paper, shifting his legs again, still hoping to conceal the very obvious erection in his tight jeans.

He had just finished sloppily scrawling his name on the top of his paper when an uncomfortable breath of warm air brushed against his ear.

“Thinking sexual thoughts in my class is unspeakably ugly to me, William,” Will shuddered, Dr. Lecter’s overbearing presence and proximity making him shiver noticeably. “I would advise you to focus on your studies and save that pitiful rush of blood until you’re safe in your _dear_ boyfriend’s car.”

Will’s heart was in his throat. As Dr. Lecter strutted away, all Will could think was that he must have seen the two of them. Will didn’t know how, but he also had a sneaking suspicion that Dr. Lecter probably sat in his own car and watched the show like a perverted old bastard.

Will tried his best to ignore the chills sneaking up his spine as he put pen to paper, writing word after angry word, putting all his angry energy into completing the best damn assignment he had ever done in this class.

**

It was November now, and Frederick had been a bit more absent from Will’s life outside of school, since he was putting his time into college applications. He would be applying for medical school, so he was also working extremely hard to boost his performance in his advanced anatomy class so that his teacher would write him a great letter of recommendation.

It wasn’t until Will was standing in front of the mirror early one morning that he realized just how much he had changed since middle school. He had grown a good couple inches, no longer small and scrawny. Weekly fishing sessions had toned his muscles, and there was a fair bit of color in his cheeks. His hair was getting a bit shaggy, the curls coming down to meet his neck. Leaning close to the mirror, he thought he could see a brightness in his eyes he had never noticed before.

He met up with Brian Zeller, Beverly’s science club friend, on the walk to school. Brian was a tall, brunette, painfully sarcastic and clever boy, and Will couldn’t help but like him.

“Beverly’s told me quite a lot about you and Frederick,” Brian told him cheekily.

“Really? So you talk about things _other_ than science?” Will mused.

Brian laughed and punched his arm. “On occasion. I’ve never actually met Frederick. What’s he like?”

“He’s wonderful,” Will sighed.

“Jesus Christ, you’re such a goner,” Brian grinned. “It’s adorable. So how did he ask you out? Or did you ask him?”

Will’s cheeks reddened a bit as he remembered the awkwardness of it all. It was too complicated to explain, so all he said was, “We found out we had a mutual crush on each other, and it just sort of happened.”

“That’s so great,” Brian nodded, and his voice dropped a bit. “Wish that would happen to me.”

“ _What_?” Will felt like a ditzy fourth grader, discussing crushes like this, but he was enjoying it. “Who? Who do you like?”

Brian’s eyes widened and he shook his head. “No one!”

“Oh, come on!” Will grabbed his arm.

Brian stopped in his tracks, his voice barely above a whisper. “Jimmy, okay?”

“ _Price_?”

“Yes,” Brian’s lips pressed together. “It’s hopeless, Will. We’ve been friends for the longest time. I doubt he could ever see me that way.”

“You never know unless you go for it!” Will chided, thinking back to the science club meeting he had been dragged to. Come to think of it, the two had argued like an old married couple and conversed like more than friends. He wasn’t one to get caught up in things like this, but he knew they would be an adorable couple.

It snowed that day at lunch, and Frederick, who was apparently caught up on the weather, was wearing a burgundy woolen hat. Will was surprised that he would willingly mess with his perfect hair, but he looked too damn cute in it for Will to make any snarky remarks. They kissed to keep warm, hiding in a deserted hallway while the rest of the school ate lunch.

“I think I’m going to like winter,” Will whispered against Frederick’s lips as their breaths rushed together and mingled, heating up the chilly November air.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [casually weaves Preller into the story]
> 
> Sorry it's been so long since the last update, my dears. Thank you for sticking around. It's appreciated more than you know!


	9. Giving Thanks

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> EDIT, August 6, 2014: I have combined several chapters with each other in order to condense the fic a bit. The content is exactly the same, but some chapters have been combined. Thank you all for reading, and I hope it'll be a bit easier to get through now that there aren't as many chapters.

The day before Thanksgiving meant that school dismissed at noon. Beverly came up to Frederick and Will, who were standing by Frederick’s locker, begging them to come to the science meeting that day.

“Come _on!_ ” she pleaded, pulling relentlessly at Will’s arm. “It’ll be fun!”

“That’s what you said last time!” Will laughed, trying to shake the girl off his arm. “Bev, I would, but Frederick’s taking me to lunch.”

“There’s plenty of time for that,” Frederick chuckled, eyes sparkling.

“See?” Beverly gestured to Frederick. “Your boyfriend has so much more common sense than you. Science is _so_ interesting! Let’s go!”

The two followed a rambunctious Beverly to the science classroom. She opened the door. “Sorry I’m late--” she started, but the sight inside the classroom made all three students stop in the doorway.

It was Brian Zeller and Jimmy Price. Brian was sitting on a lab table and Jimmy was pressed against him, their mouths molding together and arms tight against each other’s backs. Jimmy heightened the kiss by leaning against Brian until the brunette boy was lying on the table, one arm flailing out to the side and knocking over a measuring cup. It fell to the floor, shattering, and the two boys instantly sat up, looking around guiltily. Jimmy noticed Beverly, Frederick, and Will still standing in the doorway and his hand reached up to smooth down the hair on the back of his head.

“Hey guys,” Beverly grinned, winking. “I thought science club was today, but you two seem to be doing pretty well experimenting on your own.”

Color rose in Brian’s cheeks and he looked to Will, who gave him a slight encouraging nod.

The five of them stood in awkwardness for a while, til Frederick finally pointed to the shattered measuring cup. “Should we get that cleaned up?”

“Oh, right,” Jimmy gave a nervous laugh. Beverly went to get a sweeping pan and a wastebasket.

“Brian, Jimmy,” Will said suddenly, remembering his last conversation with Brian. “This is my boyfriend, Frederick.”

The three boys exchanged formalities, shaking hands and sharing small smiles. Once they had cleaned up the broken cup, nobody else from science club had even shown their faces, so Frederick and Will decided to leave for lunch as originally planned.

The café Frederick had chosen was small and cozy. This was their first restaurant date, and Frederick kept insisting on buying more and more food items for Will.

As Will sipped his milkshake and Frederick gulped down his water, Frederick looked seriously into Will’s eyes.

“Will, I want to thank you.”

“…For?”

“Oh, come on, you know what I mean!” Frederick laughed, but almost instantaneously his expression turned to a more serious one. “Will, you have changed my life in so many ways, all for the better. You have made me a better person and a better man. I used to think the world was mine, with everything I could ever have right at my fingertips. I was vain, and arrogant, and you shook that out of me. You have given me what I never thought I could find, and that’s someone to love unconditionally, entirely, and completely.”

Will had long since stopped sucking on his milkshake. When Frederick looked into his eyes, he saw tears gathering. Will reached across the table to grip Frederick’s hands in his own.

“Frederick,” he began, his voice catching a bit. “I was not whole until I found you. I was so scared of who I would be in high school. I didn’t know how I would survive freshman year, let alone the rest of my life. You raised me up and made me stronger, and you’ve shown me who I really am. You’ve put me on the right track for the rest of my life, and I can’t wait to see what the future holds for us. I don’t even want to think about where I would be without you. Thank you.”

Frederick squeezed Will’s hands tightly. Just then, the waitress brought their food, and the two broke contact.

Will nearly choked on his cheeseburger as Frederick tried to balance a french fry on his nose, looking an awful lot like a seal.

“Careful, don’t get grease on your fancy schmancy clothes!” Will teased.

Frederick cocked his head. “Will,” he started, tugging on the collar of his blue button-down shirt. “These are not ‘fancy’ clothes. I just like to dress a tad bit nicer when I take my adorable boyfriend on a date.”

Will laughed, taking a sip of his milkshake. “You’re the adorable one.”

“We are not going to argue about this!” Frederick protested, waving his arms and nearly knocking down a passing waitress. “Oh, um, sorry ma’am.”

The woman smiled brightly. “It’s fine! Enjoy your meal.”

Will threw back his head and laughed. There was nothing nicer than sitting and sharing his time with Frederick. However, Will decided it was time to bring up a subject he had been hoping to avoid for a while.

“Frederick? So…what happens when you go to college?”

Frederick’s face softened. “Will, do you really think that _college_ is going to bring a ruin into our relationship?”

“Well, if you’re going away, it could be a…slight infraction,” Will caught the hurt in Frederick’s features and quickly continued. “Not that I think it’s going to do anything. But it’ll be harder, won’t it?”

“Of course it will. I didn’t say it wouldn’t be. But you and your happiness—now that’s what I will fight for through anything.”

“So will I,” the freshman agreed. “So where are you applying?”

“Well,” Frederick sighed, rubbing the back of his head nervously. “My mom really wants me to go to Johns Hopkins. I can probably get in. I guess I’ll just study to become a surgeon there and get some smaller jobs around here afterwards.”

“Really?” Will was both surprised and proud of Frederick for this. “That’s in Baltimore, right? Not too far…”

“I can visit you at least once a month,” Frederick assured him.

“I’m so proud of you, Frederick,” Will whispered. “Whatever you do and whatever you accomplish, I will always be proud of you.”

 

**

 

Frederick’s mother had invited Will and his father over for Thanksgiving, and they had graciously agreed. Frederick’s father was away on business, as he often was (Will hadn’t even met him yet), and Mrs. Chilton insisted that the Grahams would be more than welcome to join.

Thanksgiving was nothing more than slightly nerve-wracking questions about the boys’ school performances and plans for the future. Will’s father kept trying to bring up fishing, which made Frederick laugh and almost choke on his salad.

“Damn beets!” he exclaimed, reaching for a glass of water.

“Frederick, language!” his mother warned.

“Sorry, sorry,” Frederick said between gulps of water.

“So, you two, how is Psychology going?” Mrs. Chilton asked. “Is that horrid teacher still out to get you?”

Frederick and Will both groaned exasperatedly.

“He’s a nightmare, seriously,” Frederick began. “He hates me only because I made a bad impression on him the first day. He _loves_ Will, but only when he’s not talking to me.”

“He does _not_ love me!” Will protested.

“Will, you’re the best student in the class. He _has_ to love you despite who you spend your time with.”

“Why must teachers have biases like that?” Mrs. Chilton frowned. “That’s so unfair.”

“I agree,” Mr. Graham piped up. “A teacher should just teach the class—as long as the students are learning, why does it matter if they’re liked personally or not?”

“Dr. Lecter seems to have a problem with aggression and grudges,” Frederick offered. “I don’t know why he’s even a teacher.”

“So if I were to rent out a larger boat, how would it be if we all went on a fishing trip before the weather gets too cold?” Mr. Graham asked.

This time, it was Will who snickered, glancing side-eyed and Frederick and smirking.

“That would be lovely,” Mrs. Chilton nodded kindly. “Just let us know when!”

After the boys helped clean the table, Frederick’s mother allowed them to go up to Frederick’s room (“leave the door open, boys!”). Will beat Frederick up the stairs, and the senior blamed his limp while laughing. The two fell on the bed in a heat of passion, Will climbing on Frederick and capturing his lips between his own.

“Let’s see,” Will gasped, jokingly, between kisses. “What am I thankful for?”

“Hmmm,” Frederick gave a mock tone of confusion. “I don’t know. Why don’t you make a list?”

“Well,” Will started, kissing Frederick’s nose. “I’m thankful for existing, of course, because if I didn’t exist, I wouldn’t be here with you right now.”

“How philosophical,” Frederick grinned.

“I’m _really_ thankful for your bed,” Will said slyly, lowering his voice. “because it’s big enough to fit the two of us and so comfy that it doesn’t hurt my knees when you bend me over and take me like a slut.”

“Are we _seriously_ going to play this game?” Frederick panted, planting a kiss to Will’s forehead.

“Oh, and I’m thankful for your mouth, because it’s very snarky on its own, and it’s an excellent place to put my tongue.” Will demonstrated the action, hands tangling in Frederick’s hair.

“Will,” Frederick groaned. “What if my mom comes to check on us?”

“We’re only kissing,” Will smirked, tracing his tongue along Frederick’s jaw.

“What? Run out of items for your list already?” Frederick ran a hand down Will’s back.

“I’m thankful for…your eyes. I could get lost in them and never go back to reality. I’m also really glad that they see me and then you somehow think, ‘oh hey, I wouldn’t mind tapping that.’”

“Oh, I think a _lot_ more than that, William,” Frederick laughed.

“Your hair. I’m thankful for your hair because it’s so soft and you work so hard to make it look good. You know, the first time I saw you it was all messy and uncombed. It was so hot.”

“Will, the product I use costs a lot of money. My grandma buys it for me every month, and it would be _such a waste_ not to use it.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Will kissed the older boy again, hands running up to tangle in his dark hair. “I’m thankful for your chest because it’s a comfortable place to put my head and I love to hear your heartbeat when I do that.” He moved down to prove this, sighing contently.

Frederick smiled.

Will looked up at him, a mischievous glint in his eyes, before he straddled Frederick, lips meeting his yet again. “I am thankful…for your cock and how beautiful it is and how fucking _perfect_ you feel inside of me.”

“You’re a cliché son of a bitch,” Frederick teased, but Will didn’t miss the moan that escaped from between his lips.

“And most of all, Frederick, I am thankful for you and all that you are and all that you’ve given me,” Will was running out of words now. He held Frederick’s face in his hands as he breathed a simple “thank you” and kissed him hard.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you, as always, for reading! Your kudos and compliments keep me going, and I appreciate every single one of them. They make writing about these two cuties in love even more enjoyable.


	10. Winter's Bite

Finals had taken a huge toll on both boys, who were now spending more time with their textbooks than each other. In addition to the heaps of projects and other assignments, finals were the only things that made winter as cold a season as the air was outside. Frederick was in full panic mode due to Psychology. He needed a near perfect score on the final to get his grade to an A, and he had a sneaking suspicion that Dr. Lecter wanted to keep him from his goals on purpose.

Will, on the other hand, intended to focus his studying entirely on math and biology. He spent the cold winter afternoons hunched over his desk, writing out equations and formulas, all around miserable that he wasn’t snuggled under a blanket with Frederick. Winston often slept at his feet, keeping him company as Will worked through page after page of study guides.

Will would, unfortunately, be going to Louisiana for Christmas vacation so that his dad could mingle with some of his old fishing comrades. Despite the boy’s pleas, Mr. Graham would not let Will stay home for the duration of the trip.

On the morning of the Psychology final, Frederick brought Will a present. It was a scarf, blue (“to match your eyes,” Frederick told him fondly), and Will realized the reason for that specific article of clothing when Frederick wrapped it around Will’s neck and used it to drag him closer.

“I know how you love to be pulled,” Frederick hissed, pressing his lips to Will’s.

“Only by you,” Will whispered back.

“I know that,” Frederick snickered, tightening the scarf a bit as his lips molded with Will’s.

Will was thankful for the scarf’s warmth as a he took the Psychology final, which he felt was going very well. By the time he got to the essay, he was worn out but confident. This was the last final of the semester and Will would be leaving that night, meaning that the boys had to say goodbye soon after school. Frederick was going to take Will home and pick up Winston; he would be watching the dog while Will was away.

The two lovers sat together in Frederick’s car. “Just like old times,” Frederick smiled, gazing at Will.

Will slid onto Frederick’s lap, hands stroking the sides of his face. “You’re so gorgeous,” he choked out.

“No,” Frederick protested.

“How many times do I have to tell you?” Will peered into the older boy’s eyes, sighing deeply. “You’re beautiful.”

Frederick traced Will’s back with his fingers. “Look who’s talking,” he kissed his cheek lightly. “So how did you do on that test?”

“Okay, I guess,” Will reasoned.

“Oh, come on, Will!” Frederick raised an eyebrow. “You probably got the highest grade in the class and you know it.”

“I don’t know, Fred, you studied pretty hard for it,” Will stroked Frederick’s hair softly.

“Yes, but essays are graded subjectively. Dr. Lecter--”

“Oh, enough about that horrid man,” Will objected, kissing Frederick deeply. “He may not like you, but that doesn’t matter. His loss. You’re the most wonderful person I’ve ever met, and he’s stupid for not seeing that. Fuck him.”

“I’d rather fuck _you_ ,” Frederick grinned.

“Frederick, I have to be home in an hour to pack,” Will groaned.

“I know,” Frederick sighed, picking up Will’s hands and kissing his fingers one at a time. “I’m going to miss you so much.”

“It’s only three weeks,” Will reminded him, but upon seeing the look Frederick gave him, he smiled and softened. “I’m going to miss you.”

A tap on the car window made both boys jump.

It was Dr. Lecter.

Frederick turned on the engine and rolled down the window, glaring at the teacher.

“Steam is a dead giveaway, _boys_ ,” the doctor snarled.

 _Why is he here? Why does he_ care _?_ Will wondered, groaning audibly.

“Problem, Will?” Dr. Lecter raised a thin eyebrow.

Will bit back the urge to retort; he couldn’t afford to anger the teacher right before grades were due. He absolutely despised the hostility Dr. Lecter showed the boys when they were together. Mrs. Chilton had been right; it wasn’t fair.

Will figured that he could get revenge on Dr. Lecter later; after all, he still had three and a half years left at the school. “No problems here, Dr. Lecter,” Will forced out a smile and stared pointedly at his teacher.

“I would suggest, as I have on several occasions before, that you take your homosexual activities to a more private location. Not everyone here is as, ah, _accepting_ as I am. Car windows can be broken, I might remind you.” Dr. Lecter’s maroon eyes disconcerted Will when they lingered on him for too long, and he shivered a bit.

“I hope you have a nice winter break, Dr. Lecter,” Frederick offered politely, hoping that the sentiment would get him to leave.

“It’s hardly a break,” the teacher scoffed. “Try relaxing when you’re up to your head in abysmal essays written by incompetent scholars who can’t tell classical from operant conditioning.”

This was an outright insult, and Frederick started to seethe. Will stroked his bicep lightly to calm him.

“Well, I hope one or two of them surprise you,” Will said, forcing the corners of his mouth upward.

“I’m sure yours will be fine,” Dr. Lecter told him, nodding.

Will fought the urge to roll his eyes. He jumped off Frederick’s lap and into the passenger’s seat. “We actually have to be going, Dr. Lecter. I have to catch a plane in five hours.”

“I see,” the teacher said coldly, stepping back. “See you boys in January.”

Frederick pulled out of the parking lot. “He’s such a dirtbag. Should I flip him off?”

Will burst into laughter. “No!”

“I’m kidding, but still, his reaction would be priceless.”

Will smiled at the fact he could go from a feeling of mindless hatred to one of pure joy just because of Frederick. When it finally came time for the boys to say goodbye, they had accepted their three-week break.

Their parting hug lasted nearly ten minutes, and Mr. Graham had to fake a coughing fit to get them to pull away.

“Text me,” Frederick whispered, burying his nose into Will’s curls.

“Of course. Don’t let Winston get too frisky.”

“Don’t fall off the boat.”

“Don’t freeze in the snow.”

“Don’t forget about me.”

“Don’t forget how much I love you.”

They had never kissed in front of either of their parents before, but a quick peck in front of Will’s dad seemed harmless enough. As Will’s dad pulled out of the parking lot, the freshman waved, laughing as Frederick got down on the ground and tried to wave one of Winston’s paws in the air.

“He’s a good man, Will,” Mr. Graham said unexpectedly several minutes later.

“I know.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just so you're aware, there will be a huge time lapse between this chapter and the next chapter. It may seem like a huge step, but it works best for the plot.


	11. Time Flies

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, the huge time skip is now. I felt that it was necessary in order to keep the plot going.

**EIGHT MONTHS LATER**

 

Now a sophomore in high school, Will Graham felt about fifty times more confident than he had on the first day of school the previous year. There was no shaking in his fingers as he buttoned up his plaid shirt, no look of confusion on his face, no tension in his shoulders. He had grown over past several months, his body filling out nicely. His hair had been cropped short and his curly locks were now short curls.

He let Winston run back and forth in the front yard as he prepared to walk to school. The dog had a favorite stick he was fond of playing with almost endlessly, then burying it only to dig it back up several days later.

Will was looking forward to almost every aspect of school. He was over the moon with excitement that he would be seeing his friends. He missed Beverly and Alana very much, and Brian and Jimmy were adorable together. Unfortunately, although Will no longer had Dr. Lecter as a teacher, he had also been given a job as a sophomore guidance counselor, meaning that Will was required to see him at least twice a semester.

And of course, this year, there was no Frederick at school.

Will had watched him leave on the train, tears clouding up his vision as the boy left for one of the most prestigious medical schools in the country to become a surgeon.

There had been something in Frederick’s face that day that made Will suspect that the medical field was not what he actually wanted to go into. Neither of them mentioned it, but Will believed that something was amiss.

It was easier to get through the days when Will let his mind wander to things other than his beloved boyfriend. However, this method didn’t work too well. They texted back and forth every night, and they were planning to set up a date to Skype once Will was into his sophomore year and Frederick was settled in his dorm.

Will’s first class of the new school year was Chemistry. He was surrounded by juniors, some of whom he recognized. Most were strangers to him. The teacher explained that the people they were sitting with now at the long tables would be their lab partners for the remainder of the semester. Will took a look around the table, and with a click his mind registered the boy sitting across from him as Mason Verger, Margot’s brother.

Despite never having met the boy before, Will could piece it together from descriptions he had heard. Will had never seen anyone with hair that messy. It looked like a bird’s nest. Did the boy own a hairbrush? His expression was a mixture of boredom and mild anger, and he kept stabbing his pen repeatedly on the desk.

The teacher allowed the students a bit of time to get acquainted as she passed around the syllabus.

“I’m Will,” the sophomore began, seeing as nobody else wanted to take the lead in introductions.

“Mason,” spat the blond boy, looking up from his incessant stabbing to peer at Will with bright blue eyes. He tilted his head, expression edging on leering. Will was a bit taken aback, but then again, based on Margot’s account of her brother, he wasn’t exactly surprised.

“Georgia,” said a throaty voice from the corner, where a pretty girl sat, fingers playing mindlessly with her blond hair. She seemed less than interested in the class or her peers, and Will had a sinking feeling that he would end up doing most of the work on these projects.

“So did you guys have a nice summer?” Will inquired, hoping to make at least some form of small talk.

“Surprisingly, yes,” Mason started, running a hand through his hair, messing it up even more. “Papa took me to the swine fairs a few weeks ago.” He rocked in his chair excitedly.

“What?” Georgia asked, a confused look glazing her features.

“Do you people know _anything_?” the boy exclaimed. His glasses had fallen to the end of his nose and his eyes sparkled especially intensely. “Papa’s schooling me to be a pig farmer.”

“Why?” Georgia interrupted.

“It’s the family business.”

Will bit back laughter. This was, quite frankly, one of the most ridiculous things he had ever heard.

“Papa also runs a summer camp at our farm, you know, for the underprivileged children of the community,” Mason rolled his eyes. “Of course, I had to volunteer. Kids are so easy to manipulate. Did you know they will do literally anything for a candy bar?”

Will didn’t even want to ask what “anything” meant, and apparently neither did Georgia.  Will had already heard enough about this boy from his sister, but witnessing it firsthand made him even more uncomfortable. The trio spent the remaining minutes of the class listening to a boring and repetitive lecture on lab safety.

Will’s sophomore classes were an improvement over his freshman ones, but they were, of course, much harder. His English teacher was so rambunctious Will was afraid that the class would end up actually having to act out an entire Shakespeare play at some point before the end of the year. Will’s elective class, Justice in Today’s World, was taught by a hefty man who loved to raise his voice. Will found himself trying to hide behind his glasses whenever Mr. Crawford looked directly at him. He took no nonsense and Will was terrified that one wrong move could get him in a whole lot of trouble. He sat up straight and kept his feet on the ground, hoping that he was giving off a presentable appearance.

No Frederick meant eating lunch with Alana and Beverly every day, just like he had done exactly a year ago. Will was thankful for this time to catch up with them, especially since he had no classes with either one of them.

Beverly was taking Psychology this year, and Will wasted no time in asking her for an opinion on the teacher. She had been hearing secondhand remarks for a year now, but her reaction wasn’t exactly what Will had been expecting.

“Aw, he’s not that bad, Will! At least, I don’t think so.”

“Bev,” Will eyed her suspiciously. “He made our lives a living hell last year. Don’t trust him, even if you’re sure he likes you.”

Beverly sighed. “As long as he teaches the class well and I learn something, I don’t care what he thinks of me. As long as he doesn’t make life miserable while he’s counseling, that is.”

Will shrugged. Beverly was reasonable, he could give her that. It was a quality he admired in her. “Oh, yeah, I met Mason Verger today,” he told the girls, remembering their horror stories about him in their Biology class the previous year.

“Oh my God,” Alana groaned, putting her face in her hands.

“Isn’t he a _nightmare_?” Beverly asked.

“He’s a lunatic, that’s for sure,” Will agreed.

Just then, the boy’s phone buzzed. He picked it up to see it blinking, alerting him that he had one new message.

It was from Frederick.

_Will, I need someone to talk to. Can we bump up our Skype call to tonight?_

Will’s brow furrowed in worry, and he typed back a quick “of course.”

“Everything okay?” Beverly asked.

“Yeah, Frederick’s just lonely, I think,” Will prayed that was the only thing wrong.

“He has a hand, doesn’t he?” Beverly offered, giggling madly.

Will gave her a look and sighed. “Not _that_ kind of lonely.” Will was slightly amused by the fact that the girls probably discussed his and Frederick’s sex life when he wasn’t around. He should have felt a bit perturbed, but he was just happy he had two accepting friends.

Math class, thankfully, passed quickly, and Will was able to walk home swiftly and happily, a bounce in his step that stemmed from the knowledge that he would see an, albeit pixelated, image of Frederick soon.

Will completed his homework as fast as humanly possible, engulfed his dinner in record speed, and sat in front of his computer, waiting.

Frederick had left three whole weeks ago, and Will felt as though time was moving more and more slowly as the seconds bore on.

Then the tell-tale sound of an incoming call jerked him from his thoughts. He opened the call and never had he been more excited to see anyone than he was to see Frederick’s face at that moment.

Frederick was a mess, to put it politely. Will was, admittedly, a bit taken aback to see him in such a state. His hair wasn’t combed, dark circles outlined his eyes, and his jaw was dusted with a heavier amount of scruff than Will had ever seen him have.

“Are you okay?” Will blurted out instantly.

“Better now that I’m looking at you,” Frederick reasoned, managing a small smile.

Will wasn’t convinced. “Seriously, Fred, what’s wrong?”

“This place is hell.”

“What? Why?”

Frederick rubbed his face with his hands, sighing heavily. “I can’t do this, Will. It’s too fragile.”

“What is?”

“Life.”

Will peered at him. “Frederick, what are you talking about?”

“Will, I have to work on an actual human being next week. Textbooks are fine, and dummies are swell, but this a _real life_ scenario. How can they trust first year students with something like this? One wrong move, one slip of the scalpel…and that person is gone. Dead. I can’t have that responsibility in my hands. I couldn’t live with the guilt if anything were to happen.”

“You’re always so careful and thorough, Frederick. You can do this. I believe in you.”

Frederick lost it at this point, thrashing his arms and raising his voice. “I appreciate your support, Will, but _I_ can’t do this. I _know_ I can’t do this.”

Will could feel Frederick’s terrified apprehension, and he did his best to calm him with his words. “Breathe, honey, breathe. You won’t be able to do anything if you spend the entire time scared out of your wits. Go in relaxed and confident, and know that even if you don’t believe in yourself, I believe in you enough for the both of us.”

Frederick just looked at him, shaking visibly.

“Our relationship is built on bravery, you know that? That first-ever pick-up line you used on me? The shitty angel one?”

“Shitty?” At least that got a smile out of Frederick.

“Come on, babe, that’s the oldest one in the book.”

Frederick smiled despite himself.

“Well, that took a shit ton of bravery, I’m guessing. I mean, you went out on a complete limb there.” Will continued. “And lest you forget the note I gave you--”

“How could I _ever_ forget that?”

“—I still don’t know where I got the courage to give that to you. Frederick, we are brave. _You_ are brave. Sure, this is a scary experience, but then again, what things in life _aren’t_ scary at first?” Will had long since been choked up, but by the time the last words left his mouth, he could no longer speak.

Frederick was crying, trying futilely to wipe the tears from his face. “Why are you so good to me?”

“Because I love you, you idiot,” Will replied affectionately.

“I love you too,” Frederick choked out.

Will let the quiet subside before striking up the conversation on a happier note. “So how is it in Baltimore? I hear it can be quite a fun town.”

Frederick shrugged. “I’m sure it can be,” he reasoned. “if you have the right guide. But I’m mostly just stuck in my dorm, you know, studying and thinking about you. The usual. How’s sophomore year?”

“It’s okay, I guess. Everyone’s good. Missing you. They said to tell you hi.”

Frederick smiled. “I miss them too. So how do you like Crawford? Bit of a hard-ass, huh?”

Will nodded. “Pretty much. Oh, and I forgot to tell you! Dr. Lecter got a counseling position. I have to go in and see him next week.”

Frederick groaned. “If he asks about me, don’t tell him about my horrendous attempts at becoming a surgeon.”

Will remembered Dr. Lecter’s introduction, where he had told them that he had been trained in medicine too. “Okay, I’ll just tell him how much I miss the feel of your cock in my ass.”

Frederick started laughing and didn’t stop for several minutes. Will was glad to see that the tears streaming down his face were from laughter and not sadness. “I love you, Will.”

“I love you, Frederick.”

When the boys finally hung up after another ten minutes of just repeating “I love you” back and forth, Will was able to stretch out on his bed and wait for the darkness of unconsciousness to wash over him completely.

When you love someone, distance is only an inhibiter aiming to destroy a feeling more powerful than any physical amount of space. In some ways, Will had never felt closer to Frederick. He knew for certain that these months would not be easy, but he had an inkling that they would be bearable.

Drifting off to sleep in Frederick’s arms was always easier, but letting the blanket of the knowledge of his existence and love envelope him was a decent deal. Will let his eyes close, slipping peacefully into the unlimited confines of sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mason is a little too canon for my taste, but then again, Frederick's current storyline is a parallel to his NBC backstory.  
> Now things will get interesting again.  
> Thank you all, as always, for reading!


	12. Reunification

Six days later, Will received a phone call on the way to school. His heart shot to his throat when he read the caller ID as Frederick.

“Hello?” he breathed out, stopping in his tracks, clenching the phone tightly to his ear.

“Will?” Frederick’s voice was trembling and broken.

“I’m here, baby, what’s up?” Will tried his best to keep his voice smooth.

“I’m coming home.”

Will nearly dropped the phone. “What?”

“Coming home. You know, dropping out. I’m buying my train ticket right now. I’ll be there at 3:30. Meet me at the station after school.”

“Frederick, what happened?” Will wasn’t sure what to think. He didn’t want to expect the worst, but he couldn’t help it. “Did the surgery go…awry?”

“No, no,” Frederick’s voice cracked. “It was fine. Perfect.”

“Then why are you dropping out of college?”

“I can’t do this, Will. I absolutely cannot do this. Do you understand me? I’m complete and utter shit at this.”

“But the patient’s… _alive_?”

“What, would you rather I had killed him?” Frederick’s voice was raised and Will could hear the muffled sobs escaping his mouth.

“No, Frederick, no, I just can’t understand why you would take a huge step like this if your task went perfectly fine.”

“Will, listen to me. I didn’t kill the patient. Everything went smoothly, despite how much my hands were shaking and my heart was pounding. But see, that’s exactly the problem. I can’t go on like this. It’s not going to get better. I can operate on thousands of people and I will always be terrified that if anything happens—if I kill anyone, even if it’s inevitable—I won’t be able to live with myself. I can’t continue with this profession. I can’t embarrass myself any more than I already have.”

Will’s voice softened as he spoke again, “I’ll see you soon.”

“Thank you, Will. I love you,” Frederick could now barely speak between huge gasps of breath.

“I love you. Stay safe on the rails.” Will pressed the “end call” button and continued walking, his mind racing.

This was not just some ploy of Frederick’s so he could come home and be close to Will. The boy knew him better than that. He was genuinely afraid of failing; so afraid that he didn’t even want to risk hurling himself any deeper into the field. This saddened Will, but he trusted Frederick to make the best decisions for his own life.

Will went through school that day in a haze. He was happy about seeing Frederick, but torn up with worry about what Frederick would do now. He didn’t tell his friends; it didn’t seem like it was his news to share. When Alana asked what was wrong during lunch, he blamed an imaginary head ailment.

Unfortunately, today was the day he was scheduled to go in and talk to Dr. Lecter. Will had briefly considering changing the appointment, but that would be difficult and pointless. He would never want to go in and talk to the man.

Will’s appointment was during his chemistry class, which, due to the block schedule, was the last class of the day. He was happy to not be in the presence of resident nutjob Mason Verger, who was quite annoying. Perhaps he would be easier to bear if Georgia talked more, but she preferred to sit back in her chair and keep her mouth shut.

He sat in the counseling office. Dr. Lecter was apparently still making his way from his last class. His schedule was pretty rigorous; Will could give him that. When Dr. Lecter finally walked in, Will stood up politely.

“Will,” Dr. Lecter’s voice was warmer than the boy was used to. “Please, come in.” He opened the door to his office and ushered Will inside. When they were both settled, the man folded his hands over his lap and peered at Will. “So, how are you, Will?”

“Fine,” Will mumbled. “Yourself?”

“Excellent, thank you,” Dr. Lecter was relaxed, calmer than Will had ever seen him in class. He definitely had a knack for this. “How is your sophomore year treating you?”

Will was resisting the urge to laugh. For an entire school year, he and Frederick fell victim to this man, and now he was just going to carry on like they had no messy history? “It’s fine. Good.”

“Glad to hear it. Will, sophomore year is defining. You’re a hard worker, and that will benefit you in the long run. Especially now, since your distraction is no longer here. Or have you moved on from that imbecile?”

Will prickled, hairs standing up on the back of his neck.

“When did you first find yourself attracted to men, Will?” Dr. Lecter urged, leaning forward, maroon eyes flashing.

“Frederick is the first and only male I am attracted to,” Will retorted honestly. “And no, I have not moved on from the light of my life.”

Dr. Lecter smiled through thin lips. “I’m sure. Will, are you sexually active?”

Will nearly jumped in his chair. This had to be crossing some sort of line.

“I’ll take that reaction as a yes. The steam in those car windows only offered so much.”

“No offense, um, sir, but why exactly do you need to have this conversation with a student?” Will rubbed his leg nervously.

Dr. Lecter gave no indication he had heard Will’s question. “Have you ever been the victim of homophobic slurs, threats, or anything of that nature?”

Will had to stop and think for a second. Abel Gideon had given them hard times, of course, but those were mostly directed at Frederick. But then again, they were a couple, and offensive people were a relationship hazard. “Yes,” he admitted.

“The school has a very serious no-bullying policy,” Dr. Lecter recited. “I know that your little sexbuddy is no longer at this school, but if you are the subject of any threats, I need you to tell me.”

Will shook his head, trying to clear it. Dr. Lecter himself had been outwardly invasive and more or less vulgar towards them. Was this his form of an apology?

“Like I said to you last year, it’s none of my business what you do with that boy,” Dr. Lecter told him. “But as an administrator at this school, it’s my job to make sure that you remain healthy, safe, and secure while you are being educated here. Okay, Will?”

Will nodded lightly. “Yes, Dr. Lecter.”

“You’re free to go,” Dr. Lecter decided. “Let me know if you ever need anything, all right?”

Not likely, Will thought, but he delivered as much a smile as he could manage as he saw himself out of the counseling office.

**

Will stood at the train station, rocking back and forth on his heels, surrounded by every possible kind of person. There were smiling elderly people and energetic children, homeless folks covered in newspaper blankets and railway fans with their train traffic radios. He heard the whistle from the Baltimore train and his stomach churned. He had not expected to see Frederick so soon after he had left, and he was still getting used to the idea. When the train pulled to a stop and the doors opened, he could barely contain his excitement.

Will peeked around hugging families, trying to locate Frederick. After a panicked minute, he saw him exit from the other end of the train. Will broke into a sprint, barely avoiding the conductor as he ran past him.

“Frederick!” he yelled out, since the older boy had his back turned. They collided into a hug, Frederick spinning Will in a circle as his suitcases dropped to the hard pavement.

“Oh, Will,” he whispered into his ear. “You have no idea how much I needed you.”

They walked to Frederick’s house, which was not a long trip.

“Did you…you know…tell your mom about all this?” Will asked him, not wanting to be caught in the middle of a huge family argument.

“Yes, of course,” Frederick assured him. “She’s not too happy, of course. But it’s always been her idea that I should be a surgeon like her father was. There was really no question about me studying the field. But she’s fairly reasonable, you know. She may be angry at first, but she’ll realize that it wasn’t good for me.”

Will evaluated these statements, deciding that from what he knew of Frederick’s mom, his guesses were probably going to be correct.

Frederick’s mother was not home when they arrived, so Will offered to help Frederick unpack. The older boy graciously agreed, dragging him up to his bedroom. The second they were seated on the bed, Frederick took Will’s face in his hands and kissed him deeply. His hands traced Will’s jawline softly, lips parting slightly to change angles. When they pulled back, he sighed heavily.

“God, I missed that.”

“Me too.”

Frederick worked on one suitcase, mainly containing clothes, while sitting on his bed. Will sat on the floor, managing the items. He was nearly done after only five minutes, and he was about ready to move to the bed to help Frederick when he noticed a small flipped-over frame at the very bottom of the suitcase. Will picked it up, turning it over nonchalantly, and what he saw inside the frame made his breath catch.

It was the piece of paper Will had given Frederick that long-ago day in Psychology class, containing three simple words.

_It was you._

The paper had been crumpled up many times, mostly by Will himself as he clenched it in his sweaty palm before slipping it into Frederick’s hand, but it was smoothed out and surrounded nicely by the silver frame.

Will sat there for several minutes staring at it, completely moved by this gesture. His thoughts were not even broken when Frederick, not paying attention, started to speak.

“Will, do you think--” he began, but stopped upon seeing what Will was holding. He slipped silently off the bed, sitting on the floor beside Will.

“You kept this?” Will choked out.

“Of course I did. It was hanging in my dorm, and I intend to hang it on the wall here now that I am home,” Frederick smiled at the paper, reminiscing over the many meanings behind those small words.

“Frederick…” Will started, a single tear collecting in the corner of his eye and running down his cheek. The older boy nuzzled into Will, lips seeking his.

“Will, that’s the very paper that started our life together. Without it, I don’t know where I would be. It reminds me to be brave, to be strong, and most of all, it reminds me of you. I may be a shitty surgeon, but I will find my calling in some other field I am more suited to. That little piece of paper was able to bring us together; I know that you are I are capable of absolutely anything. You taught me that.”

Will moved onto Frederick’s lap, wrapping his legs around his hips and kissing him hard, one hand still clutching the frame. Frederick’s hands slipped down Will’s back, coming to rest on his ass.

“It’s a shame there isn’t a college major for the study of your ass,” Frederick teased, nipping Will’s neck lightly. “There should be.”

“Well, you were almost a doctor,” Will whispered. “Or, rather, you were in training to become almost a doctor. I know all about your knack for anatomy.”

Frederick winked, and Will squirmed, an idea forming. He reached up to the bed, where Frederick had laid out a white doctor’s coat. He grabbed it and slipped it on Frederick, crooning softly.

“Well, young Mr. Graham, what seems to be your ailment today?” Frederick hissed out.

“Ooh, Dr. Chilton,” Will groaned, testing the name. “Mmm, I like the sound of that.”

“Well, if I decide to move into the study of Psychology, I could still end up with that title,” Frederick smirked.

“Well, Dr. Chilton,” Will continued, putting on a fake boyish voice of innocence. “I seem to be suffering from a lack of intimacy. I ache for the feel of you inside me, doctor.”

“If only real medical fields worked in this manner,” Frederick groaned out, noticing Will’s erection straining his jeans. “I would never leave the lab if it meant I got to examine you every day.”

“Take me, Dr. Chilton,” Will moaned, throwing his head back so Frederick could begin to unbutton his shirt. He rocked Will, dipping his head to flick his tongue over a nipple.

Frederick had just begun to thrust Will’s underwear down when the opening of the garage door made both boys scramble up, Will redressing himself and Frederick shucking the coat off.

“We will continue this soon, mi amor,” Frederick whispered, kissing Will’s nose lightly as they prepared to make their way downstairs to greet Frederick’s mother. “Dr. Chilton isn’t anywhere near done with you yet.”


	13. Together

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The boys adjust to Frederick's lack of schooling, Will meets with Dr. Lecter again, and Will and Frederick continue their doctor roleplay.

In the coming months, Frederick was accepted at a local college for the spring semester. He was going through with his idea to study Psychology, often stating how excited he would be to one day walk back into high school and shove his shiny new title into Dr. Lecter’s face to shun him for all the embarrassments Frederick had suffered in his class.  
  
The lack of schooling in the autumn months meant that Frederick was always either at home or at Will’s house. He had taken up the unhealthy hobby of laziness, but he had his eyes set at least partially on the future, because every day he would drive to the bookstore and pick up a book or two on psychology in order to prepare him for his future studies. Will’s favorite days were when Frederick surprised him by appearing after school, offering to drive him home, or sometimes to a movie or a restaurant.  
  
Happiness was resting with his head on Frederick’s shoulder, accepting everything they had and everything they were. Happiness was staring at the light of the stars, feeling their radiance a million miles away as the boys’ hands intertwined.  Happiness was knowing that Frederick existed, keeping that shard of love in his heart even when his piles of homework restricted him from seeing the older boy every single day.  
  
If Will had changed over the past year, Frederick had even more so. Not just in appearance, although his features were more narrowed and developed, his short-statured body filled out nicely, and his eyes glowed with a matured glaze of wisdom. That air of haughtiness the young man had sometimes displayed back in high school had evaporated, as if he had learned enough about life to understand his small role in it. However, he attributed it to Will and all that the boy had taught him about Frederick himself. He had brought him out of the shell of pride and dissolved that arrogance that had once defined Frederick’s character.  
  
In mid-October, Will received a counselor’s slip, alerting him that he had another meeting with Dr. Lecter. Will sighed profusely, the loud release of breath prompting Alana, who was sitting next to him in class, to peer through her silky dark hair and smirk at the small piece of pink paper.  
  
“Busted!” she joked, punching Will’s arm lightly.  
  
“It’s probably just to check up on classes,” Will told her. Alana had a different counselor since her last name fell in the A-F category, and she was more than happy to not have to see her former Psychology teacher except in passing.  
  
When Will knocked lightly on the counselor’s door, he was greeted with a welcoming “come in,” and he entered the small room, seating himself across from the man.  
  
“Nice to see you, Will,” he smiled, dipping his head and offering his hand to shake Will’s. Will grasped his hand, but begrudgingly. He didn’t appreciate the false formalities, even though he was sure they must be some sort of small apology for the man’s behavior the previous year. Dr. Lecter made a small coughing noise to clear his throat before continuing. “How are you?”  
  
“Fine,” Will said, eyes glancing to the window, watching students walk by with smiles etched into their faces. A couple stopped to kiss, and Will’s stomach twisted with empathetic happiness for them.  
  
“Will, please,” his counselor urged, tapping his fingers on the side of his chair rhythmically. “What’s your favorite class this semester?”  
  
“English,” Will replied. It was a difficult class, and no small task, but he was enjoying it. Plus he was surrounded by friends: Margot, Alana, Brian, and Beverly.  
  
Dr. Lecter nodded. “I noticed your grades are all generally good, but you need to focus more in chemistry. Remind me…what elective are you taking?”  
  
“Justice in Today’s World,” Will mumbled, picking at a hangnail to occupy himself, avoiding the man’s eyes. This was just small talk; he knew that the man wanted to dive right into his favorite topic: Will’s sexuality and “imbecile” boyfriend.  
  
“Very nice,” Dr. Lecter leaned back in his chair. “Mr. Crawford really knows how to handle a class, doesn’t he?”  
  
“He raises his voice a lot,” Will relayed as a noncommittal response.  
  
“What are your plans for college?” Dr. Lecter asked, a question Will was not ready for.  
  
“Um,” Will stared at the ground, racking his brain. “I’ll probably stay in this area.”  
  
“If you keep your grades up, you could get into a great four-year college,” Dr. Lecter reminded him. “What majors would you be interested in?”  
  
Will stared dumbly at his hand, thinking. “Maybe English or Criminal Justice,” he decided, picking the first two things that popped into his mind.  
  
“It’s good that you’re thinking of possibilities. Many students panic and can’t reply,” Dr. Lecter offered. Will shrugged, continuing to avoid his eyes. The two were silent for several minutes, then the counselor leaned forward, addressing the inevitable. “How is Frederick?”  
  
“He’s great,” Will replied, voice small.  
  
“Long-distance isn’t too much for you? You call him often?” Dr. Lecter pried, obviously intrigued for some still unknown reason.  
  
Will didn’t want to tell him that Frederick had dropped out of college for now. It would make him an easy target for Dr. Lecter’s already constant insults. But then again, he wasn’t sure he had much of a choice.  
  
“He’s here at home, actually,” Will told him, choosing his words carefully. “He’s switching majors to Psychology.”  
  
“I see,” the counselor said, evidently trying to hide his surprise. “I wouldn’t have thought that was much of an option for him, considering his abysmal attempts in my class.”  
  
“Well, that’s what college is for, isn’t it?” Will lashed out in defense of his boyfriend. “Recognizing abilities and expanding them?”  
  
“I suppose so, yes,” the man agreed, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. “Is he still living up to those admirable expectations you so casually mentioned to me last year?”  
  
“Yes indeed,” Will retorted more aggressively than he meant to, his words ending in a smirk. If the counselor found this rude, he made no comment; instead, he crossed his legs and peered at Will.  
  
“You’re free to go, unless you have anything more you wish to share with me,” he told him, and Will smiled, standing up quickly.  
  
“No thank you, Dr. Lecter. I’ll be going.”  
  
With that, the boy hurried out the door and back to class. The meeting had gone better than he expected, and he walked with a slight bounce in his step. He only one more class until a comforting red car would come to pick him up.

 

  
**

  
  
When Will slid into the passenger seat, he was immediately greeted with a toothy grin and the instantaneous and familiar feel of Frederick’s lips on his. Will sighed into the kiss, relishing in it. As much as he had supported Frederick’s previous endeavors in Baltimore, there was no substitute for his soft lips and warm hands.  
  
As they drove to Will’s house, the boy recounted his meeting with Dr. Lecter, which elicited lots of laughter and swearing from Frederick.  
  
“Did he even need to call you in?” Frederick asked incredulously.  
  
“I guess it was just a midyear check-in,” Will reasoned. “But none of my friends have meetings with their counselors, so who knows?”  
  
“I think he’s in love with you,” Frederick guessed, laughing hard. “He just wants into your pants. I mean, who wouldn’t?”  
  
“Too bad,” Will scoffed. “There’s a line, and you got there first. Plus he’s a creep.”  
  
“But you’re his _brilliant_ psychology scholar!” Frederick recounted in a sing-song voice.  
  
“Forget about him,” Will urged as the car pulled up to Will’s house. Winston, who had been asleep on the front porch, barked loudly and wagged his tail as the boys stepped out of the car.  
  
Will’s dad wasn’t home, so the two, trailed by Winston, made their way upstairs to their favorite spot of the house: Will’s bed. Will leaped on the mattress, laughing as Frederick joined him, and let himself sink into the memory foam as the older boy laid on top of him. He gave Will a quick kiss, then suddenly grabbed his bag.  
  
“I have a surprise for you,” he told him, raising an eyebrow as he hopped off the bed.  
  
“Hit me,” Will grinned, spreading his legs, expecting some sort of sexual endeavor. To his surprise, Frederick winked and ran out of the room into the bathroom.  
  
After several minutes, he returned, in full doctor’s scrubs and accessories. Will drew in a long breath. So they would get to play doctor after all.  
  
“Are you in need of some treatment, dear boy?” Frederick asked, playfully lowering his voice and smirking at Will, who was squirming with lust.  
  
“Yes,” Will breathed out, then feigned a cough. “You’d better come take a look at me. I don’t feel at all well.”  
  
“I see,” Frederick smiled. “Sit up, please.”  
  
Will scrambled to sit on the edge of the bed immediately. Frederick strode over, pressing the buds of his stethoscope into his ears, placing the end piece over the boy’s heart. He listened thoughtfully for several moments, then breathed out quietly, “Your heart is beating faster than any human heart I’ve ever heard. Now, why do you think that is?”  
  
“I can barely breathe when I’m around you, Dr. Chilton,” Will gasped, faking another cough. “My palms sweat and my heart races and my body convulses with overwhelming stimulation.”  
  
“A lustful patient,” Frederick recounted, nodding. “I need to check the rest of your symptoms. Would you kindly strip for me?”  
  
Without wasting a second, Will shimmied out of his clothes, standing naked and exposed in front of the fully clothed play-doctor, his cock standing at attention, revealing the overwhelming desire he was feeling.  
  
“My, my,” Frederick murmured softly, walking a full circle around Will, inspecting him. “You’re a very needy little sick boy, aren’t you?”  
  
Will nodded, legs shaking slightly. “I think I need medical attention immediately.”  
  
Frederick dropped to his knees, taking Will's erection into his mouth. His tongue was quick and needy, playing sensually along Will's shaft. Will groaned, giving in to the pleasure, relishing in it.  
  
"Doctor..." he managed to moan, breath shortening as Frederick slipped his tongue along Will's balls, nipping playfully with just his lips. As the older boy licked a long strip up the underside of his cock, Will's entire body began to shake. It had been so long since they had been intimate this way, with school and homework dominating most of Will's time and dictating how long the lovers could spend in each other's company.  
  
Frederick pulled off of Will's leaking cock with a pop, smirking up at him. "You're suffering from a lack of sexual intimacy," he started, obviously trying to prevent himself from omitting the persona and bursting into laughter. "Your pretty little cock is responding so beautifully to treatment." To prove his point, he stroked Will with just a finger, watching his dick twitch at the stimulus.  
  
"Lay back for me," Frederick continued in a silky, calm voice. He reached into his bag and pulled out a bottle of lube, spreading Will's legs and holding them back as he drizzled a speck of lube on two fingers. Slowly, tantalizingly, he pressed them into Will, gasping softly. "You should have come to me sooner," Frederick groaned. "You've gotten so tight."  
  
"Only because you haven't fucked me," Will protested, but his words died in his throat as Frederick scissored his fingers, stretching Will, urging him to relax and succumb to him. Will gave in instantaneously, his legs falling open farther, his breath heavy.  
  
"What a beautiful slut you are," Frederick praised, tickling Will's prostate with the tips of his fingers. He grinned at the needy moans spilling from Will's mouth.  
  
Frederick withdrew his fingers, smiling to himself at Will's needy, open hole. "You're doing wonderful," he crooned, leaning down to kiss Will's sweaty forehead.  
  
"Dr. Chilton, please..." Will managed, more of a strangled choke than a command. His eyes were watering, and amidst the swirl of need echoing in his brain, he registered how beautiful the crisp white doctor's clothed meshed with Frederick's features.  
  
"Please what?" Frederick insisted, placing his hands on his hips and staring back at the boy, who was shaking, his cock leaking on his belly.  
  
"You're the expert here," Will told him. "Do what you think is best."  
  
Frederick breathed out a thoughtful sigh. He was silent for a few moments, looking Will over from head to toe. Leaning in close to the boy's ear, he hissed, "I think you need to be fucked."  
  
Will groaned in anticipation, watching in earnest as Frederick removed his white slacks and black briefs. To his surprise, he kept his shirt and coat on, giving Will a sneaky wink as he reached into his bag for a condom.  
  
"No," Will said suddenly, batting it away. Frederick raised an eyebrow; they had always used condoms. "I want to feel you," Will explained. "I need you to complete me."  
  
"If you insist," Frederick breathed, dribbling a bit of lube on himself and stroking quickly. He winced slightly as the cold sensation mingled with his heated erection. Aligning himself, he pressed into Will, who let himself adjust, mouth forming a small "o" as he felt Frederick's hard flesh inside him. This was more intimate, more inclusive. Even as Frederick kept the doctor's coat on, he knew they were no longer role-playing, at least not to the extent they had been. This was too sacred of a moment.  
  
"Harder," Will begged, urging his lover to initiate a rhythm. Frederick obliged, snapping his hips in time, hands settling on Will's hips, keeping him steady as the boy rocked against him. With every thrust, the white coat brushed against Will's ass, the motion causing goosebumps to prickle along Will's body. "Yes, Dr. Chilton," he whined, still latching onto that title, loving the way it sounded.  
  
Frederick stroked a hand along Will's abdomen, his fingers brushing against sensitive skin. There was nothing between them, no thin latex barrier separating their bodies. Will reveled in it, his body going lax with Frederick's thrusts, succumbing completely to the pleasure.  
  
Frederick was on the verge too, his hips jerking more sporadically, sweat trickling down his neck. Knowing he was approaching his limit, he slowed in order to pull out, but Will swayed his hips down, a loud "No!" exploding from his mouth.  
  
The boy's pupils were blown and he was basically vibrating with pleasure. He met Frederick's eyes with a warning glare, his voice cracking as he spoke, "Inside me."  
  
"Are you sure?" Frederick asked, continuing to pound him at a slightly slower pace.  
  
"Fucking come in me, Frederick," Will growled through gritted teeth, hand traveling to his own cock, pumping it to speed his impending orgasm. Frederick took the initiative, slamming into Will with no hesitation, loving the boy's strangled cries of need as he was made new.  
  
Will wasn't used for the hot, sticky sensation that overcame his hole as Frederick came, but as he was filled, he let himself go, coming simultaneously with his lover, breathing shortened to quick, ragged gasps. Frederick allowed himself to fall forward, burying his head in Will's curls, kissing his ear and murmuring a chorus of love. When he pulled out, he collapsed onto the bed, staring into Will's eyes.  
  
"Messier than usual," he noted, then, almost as an afterthought, he moved to lap up Will's cum, which had pooled on his belly.  
  
Will sighed.  
  
"Thank you," Frederick told the boy seriously, looking directly into his eyes. "That was...beautiful."  
  
"We're one, Frederick. You're already a part of me," grabbing the other boy's hand, Will placed it over his rapidly beating heart, feeling every aspect like some teenage goof in a C-level romance movie.  
  
"Together," Frederick offered.  
  
"Together," Will agreed, and moved in to kiss him, hands tangling in his damp hear. Their lengthy kiss was interrupted by the sound of a garage door opening, alerting them that Will's dad was home.  
  
"Fuck," Will grimaced.  
  
"I'd better change out of these clothes," Frederick decided. "But don't think this will be the last you see of them."  
  
"Oh, I'm sure it won't be," Will teased, playfully pinching Frederick's ass as he hopped off the bed. The older boy gave him a drop-dead sexy smile and a frisky wink as he grabbed his bag and rushed into the bathroom.  
  
Will fell back against the mattress, smiling.  
  
 _Together_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back!!! Sorry it's been so long, lovelies.


End file.
